Finding Courage
by Angels of Twilight
Summary: Bella is a vampire who just moved to Forks and enrolls in Forks High. She meets the Cullens, who are also vampires. All but Edward. He is paralyzed from the waist down and hasn't been changed for the fear that it won't cure him. Can Bella's new powers help?
1. On the Inside

**A/N: Hey! This is my poll story! Finally! I hope you like it!**

**Thank you to the people that sent me title ideas, and especially to -oOoHeartOfDarknessoOo-, who gave me the title I used! Thank You!**

**Bella has been a vampire for 3 years and just moved to Forks. She attends Forks High, where she meets the Cullens. All of them are vampires, but Edward. He was adopted by Carlisle and Esme about a year before Bella came. He is paralyzed from the waist down and his real parents are dead. He hasn't been changed for the fear that it won't cure his paralysis and that is his dream. To be just like the rest of his family. Can Bella's new powers help him and let him be changed? And how was Bella changed?**

**Hope you enjoy this newest creation! And the chapter titles are songs that will (hopefully) fit the events in the chapter!**

_**Finding Courage**_

_**On the Inside**_

My truck slowly started beeping louder and louder on the left side as I drifted towards the dividing line. I turned the wheel slightly until it stopped and sighed. I pushed the large power button on the radio and searched the stations until a song caught my interest. It couldn't have been more fitting.

_Your life is like a crack in the mirror_

_Seven years of bad luck it ain't getting better now_

_Not till all is said and done  
_

_Reflection in the window is the same old face  
_

_Background small town_

_everywhere you look around  
_

_Tell me what you're runnin from_

_Flip a coin and let it land in your hand_

_Heads you gonna stay but its tails_

_So you can move to another town_

_Hide where you're sure you won't be found_

_But it's still just you on the inside_

_You can pretend it'll be alright_

_Said it to yourself but you know it's just a lie_

_Cause it's still just you on the inside_

_Still you on the inside..._

_Nothing faster than the speed of your leavin'_

_A hundred miles an hour and there ain't no slowin' down_

_But you can't outrun yourself_

_Hey you can say you fit in like a joker in the deck_

_But now you're skipping like a broken record goin' round_

_you're the last to ask for help-_

I quickly turned it off, trying to avoid the memories it would stir up. It was somewhat eerie, how well that song fit, but I stopped myself from thinking about it anymore. I concentrated on what I could make out of the road in front of me.

I had been driving for the last eleven hours, and was only about five away from my destination of Forks, Washington. I was only going about seventy five, so I could have been there sooner, but I wanted to seem somewhat normal with the other people driving on the road.

I was driving from Sun City West in Arizona, a little less than twenty miles from Phoenix. It was a somewhat small town. My dad was the Police Chief there, and my mom was a free lance journalist. She was a big gossip and he was always paranoid about safety, so they were in the right careers.

I went to high school, supposedly the perfect student from what my parents told me. I thought I could do better, but they were happy. I was, too, for a while. But nothing good ever lasts, does it?

No.

My family was destroyed, myself being the only survivor. My parents are dead, and I'm moving because nowhere else I go seems to be safe. I've lived in ten different cities, and that murderer keeps following me. He wants to finish what he started, and he knows the police can't catch him. The worst part is that I know him.

I loved him.

Until he changed…But that seems like another lifetime, now. It couldn't have only been three years ago that everything happened, but reality wouldn't let me convince myself of that.

The truck started beeping again, but this time from the right side. I was getting too close to the shoulder. I turned the wheel slightly before it got louder, and it stopped. I looked at the dashboard to find that another hour had passed while I was wallowing in my self-pity. My GPS hadn't said anything about turning, so I figured I was still heading in the right direction. Granted, it was a pretty straight drive. I sighed silently.

That's another thing that changed. I haven't spoken since _he_ changed. Before _he_ killed my parents. Before _he_ tried to kill me. Before _he_ made me almost completely blind.

Hello, my name is Isabella Swan. And I am a mute and partially blind vampire. How interesting.

**A/N: I know, I know. The poll made it sound like Edward was the only one with major problems, but I didn't want to give too much away. I didn't want to give away a lot in this chapter, either, so a lot of questions may not be answered.**

**The song was On the Inside by Daughtry. Beware, you will probably be seeing that name a lot. They and 3 Doors Down are my absolute favorite bands.**

**So? What do you think?! I really want to know! I was sooooooooo excited about writing this story, so I just couldn't wait until I finished Unconditional and decided to post it now.**

**Please review! ;p**


	2. The Road I'm On

**A/N: Okay, so I know I left a lot out of the last chapter, but that doesn't mean it won't be mentioned. I'm sure a few of you got confused by Bella's…state, but trust me when I say I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't have put it in if I wasn't planning on doing something with it!**

**Anyway, this is another chapter to set up the rest of the story. The next chapter should be a little bit more interesting than all of this background stuff.**

*****WARNING: This chapter may be a little touchy for some people, but there is no offense meant. It's just a part of the story! Actually, the whole story might be, but please do NOT be offended!*****

**Enjoy!**

_The Road I'm On_

_One Year Ago…_

A hospital room.

I was slowly gaining consciousness and hadn't even opened my eyes, but I knew where I was. The sterile smell, the rough sheets, the flat pillow, the bright light shining through my eyelids. The heart monitor and oxygen mask were also a hint.

_Bright lights were heading directly towards us, not even in their own lane. They just kept getting bigger and bigger…_

The heart monitor sped up a little, the beeps coming slightly faster. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will the memories of that night to the back of my mind, but they persisted.

_I was jolted forward at the same moment that the collision of the two vehicles reverberated through my head. The car tipped to the right, and kept going. Right over the guardrail…_

My breathing became ragged and I felt a sharp pain in my neck. The same pain I felt when it happened. My eyes were starting to hurt with how hard I was squeezing them shut.

_It rolled down the hill, my mom's screams echoing through the car. One flip…two flips…three, and then we stopped, all of us hanging by our seatbelts. The squeak of the tires as they turned in the air was all that filled the car…_

I took the sheets in my hands, squeezing as hard as I could. I pulled and I heard a rip, and the tension from the sheets disappearing. The monitor was going crazy, and the oxygen mask wasn't helping me. My breaths were short and shallow.

_Sirens. I couldn't put how relieved I was into words to hear them. But I was scared. They hadn't moved. My parents…they looked unconscious from where I was, but I couldn't be certain…_

I heard movement outside the room, but I didn't open my eyes. There was the sound of feet rushing to my side and someone trying to get the sheet out of my hands. But I wouldn't let go.

_They were right outside the car. I heard them say something about two D.O.A.'s before I lifted my head to see an arm retract from inside the car. I hadn't even noticed the broken windows._

"_We've got a live one! Get the Medi-Vac!" I looked to my left, not turning my head, to see a police officer standing next to me, his hand around my ankle. He was keeping it from rubbing against the big piece of glass from the window that landed directly under me…_

They had gotten the sheet from me, but now my nails were digging into my palms. Someone's hands were on my face, and I could hear a voice. I couldn't figure out what they were saying.

_They opened the door and cleared the largest pieces of glass. I started seeing black dots in my vision, and my chin lowered itself onto my chest._

"_Come on, kid. Stay with me, now," he said, his voice sounding tense._

_He was in the car now, positioned so that he could lift me up slightly. It was just enough to stop the seatbelt from biting into my neck. The weird thing was, I couldn't feel the gash in my leg from the glass._

"_What's your name, kid? Open your eyes and tell me your name," he said, sounding calmer than before. I hadn't even noticed my eyes closing with the blackness invading my vision. I felt a sharp pain in the middle of my back as I lifted my head. I cried out and his face fell._

"_Where's the medic?" he screamed over his shoulder. My eyes drooped again, but I couldn't lift them back up. Everything seemed to be slowing down…_

"Edward! Edward, listen to me. You need to calm down," someone said, the voice coming from above me. I almost didn't hear them as I listened to the erratically beeping heart monitor. The oxygen mask had fallen off the bed, and I was gasping.

I heard screams of pain, but I didn't realize they were mine until I closed my mouth. My upper body collapsed back onto the bed, and I lay there, hardly able to breathe. I could feel my arms being tied down, and someone repeatedly running their hand through my bronze hair, trying to calm me. Someone put the mask over my face. There was a sharp pain in my arm as someone injected something through my I.V. before I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness…

~-~-~-~-~

"_Both of them are dead. He's the only one left. He doesn't even have family around here, Carlisle. I don't know what to do with the poor kid."_

"_We don't have any options. He's got to go into foster care. But, according to his records, he's seventeen. So, he'll only have to be there until his next birthday."_

"_But…he's going to need help. Even after that. He won't be able to live on his own like this."_

"_Well, we'll see what happens after he wakes up. He'll have to be here for at least a month, anyway. Spinal surgery is nothing to laugh about."_

"_Carlisle, how are we going to tell him? Besides the fact that his parents are dead, he won't be able to walk for the rest of his life! How do you tell a kid that hasn't even begun his life that he'll never be able to be normal?"_

"_You just did," I said. They had been standing right outside my door with it open. I heard everything. And I felt defeated._

I woke up with a start, my eyes shooting open and scanning the room. I sighed and lay back, resting my head on the pillow. I hadn't had that memory come as a dream in a while.

It had been the worst news I could have had after that accident. I remember the date. It was September 14th. Exactly five months ago.

I knew my parents were dead, even if I hadn't wanted to believe it while I was still in the car. But, somehow, I knew. I had come to accept that, keeping my feelings in until all the nurses and doctors were done examining my injuries. And even then, I tried to stay as quiet as possible.

Today was the day they were going to talk to me about what I was going to do. I had ended up having to stay in the hospital for a month longer than they expected, because of my flashbacks. That was what happened before I blacked out. I would grab at things, hurt myself to try to distract my mind from the images I tried to keep hidden. They thought I was suicidal at first, but they came to realize I wasn't even thinking when this was happening. It just happened and I tried to stop it. That was my first attack, and understandably the worst. They weren't as bad anymore, but I still woke up screaming or crying.

The younger nurses stayed with me sometimes, trying to get me to talk to them about myself, but I wouldn't. They would sit down next to me in the chair and talk, but I would look at them before turning my head back to the only window in my room. Eventually they would leave, but they always came back. One look into their eyes as they walked in and I knew what they were trying to do.

But a relationship was the last thing I wanted, or needed, at that point. I wouldn't have been able to stand someone constantly asking me what was wrong or if I needed help. I knew I would, but it hurt knowing that I couldn't do things on my own anymore.

The only person that I ever let help me was Dr. Cullen. He wasn't like the other doctors. He came in and did what he needed. He would tell me what he felt like I needed to know, but didn't ask me anything that wasn't completely necessary. Even then, he would apologize like he was interrupting something important. He came in at that moment, a serene look on his face.

"Hello there, Edward. As we told you yesterday, there is something that needs to be discussed," he said, the apologetic look on his face again. I nodded and he continued.

"Now, I want you to know that you don't have to answer right away, but my colleagues and I have been discussing your case, since you are still a minor. But I'm going to cut to the chase. I'm sure you don't want to sit here and listen to me talk." I smiled slightly and he smiled back.

"You need to decide where you are going when we decide you are okay to leave. As far as I can see, you have two options. One is going to a foster home. We'll make sure they can meet your…needs, and you'll all your meds. Two is to go live with a family member. Anyone willing to take you in. You'll be monitored once a month to make sure everything is going well, and to make sure you're happy there," he said quietly. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"There are no family members. None of them…_approved_ of my parents' marriage, on either side. All of them moved to the East Coast just to get away from them," I spat harshly. But Dr. Cullen didn't say anything. He just nodded.

"There's no other option?" I asked tiredly. He looked at me before his gaze slid to the window. He looked like he was thinking deeply. He blinked once and turned back to me, resting his elbows on his knees.

"There…might be something else…but I…I'm not…I don't know if you would like this idea," he said slowly. My body tensed and I waited for him to continue.

"I have mentioned this to my family already, and they are okay with this arrangement, but I wanted to give you the other options first. If you wish, you could come and live with my family and me." I felt my eyes grow wide and he continued.

"My wife, Esme, and I adopted four teenagers, all of them your age. They have lived with us for a while now, and said they would be happy to have you. My wife would be happy to adopt every child in the world, so she agreed as soon as I mentioned it." He stopped talking, a small smile on his face, and looked at me, gauging my reaction. I couldn't get my mouth to form words at first, and when I did, they were quiet.

"Dr. Cullen, are…are you…serious? You're not joking around, are you?" He shook his head, his smile growing at my question.

I sat there, a surprised look on my face, trying to believe what I was hearing. This man- this _doctor_ was going to let me, a paralyzed orphan, into his home, and let me become a part of his family. He was giving me an option that didn't include having to live in a house with a whole bunch of other homeless or orphaned children. Or relatives that wouldn't have cared if I had died, as well. It was an offer I couldn't let slip through my fingers.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't be a burden on you and your family?" I asked. I might not want it to slip by, but that didn't mean I wanted to hurt his family.

"Of course not, dear! Why would you think such a thing?" Both Carlisle and I turned towards the door to see a woman with shoulder length brown hair standing with her arms crossed over her chest, a surprised and almost hurt look on her face. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and was really beautiful. Inhumanly so. She walked in and stood behind Carlisle, putting a hand on his shoulder. He stood and looked at me.

"Edward, this is my wife, Esme. You must forgive her. She got so excited when I mentioned you coming to live with us, I almost wasn't able to leave for work alone this morning. She's not always like this, though." Esme walked over to me and wrapped me in an unexpected hug. I awkwardly hugged her back, looking at Carlisle for an explanation. He just shrugged and I mock glared at him. She pulled away and sat down on the side of the bed, taking my hands in hers.

"I don't want you worrying about bothering us. It would be a pleasure to have you come live with us. But if you'd rather go to a foster home, that's okay, too. We're not trying to pressure you into saying yes," she said. She sounded sincere, but quickly turned to sadness as she finished. I just shook my head slowly and she looked confused.

"You don't have to pressure me. I'd…I'd really appreciate it. I…I don't want to go to a home." She smiled brightly and hugged me again, and I returned the embrace a little more this time. Carlisle smiled and walked out quickly, looking back once before disappearing around the corner. I could only guess what he was doing. Esme pulled back and kept her hands on my shoulders.

"Now, I know you're not going to want a lot of help with anything, but I want to tell you know that you can come to me or any of the other kids for anything. You already know Carlisle will help you. They already know about you being paralyzed, but whether or not you tell them your story is up to you. Carlisle felt it best that I know, since I'm his wife, but they will only find out if you want them to, okay?" My eyes had dropped to my lap at the mention of my "condition" and she took my chin in one of her hands, raising my face so I was looking at her. I nodded and she smiled again. I could already tell that I wouldn't regret this decision…

I was released from the hospital the next day, Carlisle and Esme there to take me to their home.

My home.

~-~-~-~-~

I woke up that day happier than I had ever remembered. I still hadn't met the other kids, but Esme assured me they would welcome me with open arms. They had to go to school today, but they would be home around three. They were only two weeks in, so it wouldn't take me that long to catch up.

It took a few hours to get all of the paperwork filed and approved, even with Carlisle being my doctor, so it was a little after noon before they let me leave. I hadn't had an I.V. for a few months now, since I was able to do everything by myself except get up. Once I was able to eat and drink they took it out.

I got dressed while I was waiting for Carlisle with the wheelchair. Esme had bought me all new clothes, and gotten the old ones from my…other house. She had brought me jeans and a t-shirt, and I tried to put them one as quick as I could. The shirt was the easy part. The pants were the hard part. I looped my index fingers through the front-most belt loops and let the legs fall off the bed. I managed to get my feet in the holes, but completely forgot about not being able to move my hips to get them under me. I pulled them up as much as I could, getting them almost all the way up, before they wouldn't budge anymore. Now came the kick to my pride…

"Umm…Esme?" I asked hesitantly, half hoping she wasn't there until I remembered the nurses. It made me thankful she answered.

"Yes, dear?" she asked.

"I…kind of…need your help. I can't get my pants up anymore," I finished in a sigh. It was a good thing I didn't have an ego or everyone in the hospital would have heard it pop…

Esme came behind the curtain like I asked her something anyone would ask her. She came right over and draped my arm across her shoulders, wrapping her own arm around my waist. She lifted me off the bed enough for me to get my pants up higher on one side and then moved to my other side and repeating this until I got them all the way up. She set me back down and I buttoned them before leaning back to get the zipper all the way up. I sighed and she smiled at me, ruffling my hair with her hand.

"That hair doesn't need help being out of control, Esme," Carlisle said as he walked in. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

He pulled the curtains back and pushed the chair over to the bed. He got on one side of me and Esme was on the other. They lifted me off the bed and set me down in the chair, lifting my feet so they could put the little rests down. He pushed me down the hall and we rode the elevator to the main lobby. I looked at the desk to see a familiar face standing next to her mom, trying to see over the top of the counter.

The little girl turned around as we came out and her face lit up with a smile. She ran over, her brown curls bouncing up and down, and threw her arms around my neck. I picked her up and set her down on my lap, Carlisle pausing on our way to the door. She pulled away and signed to me, her eyes sad.

_Where are you going, Edward?_ She asked. I took one hand from around her, using the other to keep her from falling, and signed back.

_I'm going home. I don't have to stay here anymore._ Her eyes grew wide, but she still looked confused.

_Can you walk again? Did they fix you?_ My smiled faded slightly, and I shook my head.

_No, but Dr. Cullen is letting me live with him and his family so that I will have people to help me when I need it._ She smiled sadly and nodded her understanding.

_I hope you're happy with them, Edward. You deserve to be._ She wrapped her arms around my neck again and I hugged her back. She pulled away just as her mother spotted where she was. She walked over, a smile on her face, and stopped next to me.

"Sorry about that. She hasn't stopped talking about you since she walked in your room that first day," she said.

"It's okay. I enjoyed talking to her. No one else but Carlisle really bothered, unless you want to include the female nurses…" I trailed off. Esme and Carlisle laughed, and Carmine shook her head. Danni just looked at us, waiting for an explanation.

_Your mom was telling me about how you always talk about me. I told her I didn't mind. I was happy to talk to you rather than the lady nurses here,_ I signed. Her mouth formed a small "o" and she blushed.

_So, what are you doing back here?_ I asked, changing the topic. Her face lit up and her hands started going a mile a minute in her excitement.

_They have this thing that they can put behind my ear that might let me be able to hear things._ She looked at her mom, who smiled and answered her unspoken question.

_An implant. It goes under the skin behind her ear and takes the sound waves right to her brain, instead of through her ear. It's like a permanent hearing aid. They needed someone to try it out, and Danni immediately offered. I couldn't say no after how excited she looked._ I nodded and turned back to Danni.

_I hope it works out for you. You're a good kid. And thank you._ She blushed again, a shy smile on her face, until she saw my last message.

_For what?_ She signed, confused again.

_For being one of the only people to talk to me, just because you wanted to, not because you pitied me. You might not have realized it, but you helped me,_ I said. She hugged me again, tears spilling down her face. She pulled away and hastily signed, trying to get it right while she cried silently.

_And thank _you_, Edward, for treating me like a normal person instead of the little deaf girl no one wants to take the time to talk to. I felt normal when we talked. My world might be silent, but it doesn't make me less than anyone else,_ she said, her smile back on her face. I smiled back and hugged her to me, her tears soaking my shirt as she buried her face in my chest.

She pulled away after she stopped crying and smiled at me. Her mother picked her up and she rested her head against her shoulder. She waved to me and I waved back.

_Good luck, Danni._

_You, too, Edward._

And with that, we went our separate ways, both of us heading for a new life.

**A/N: Okay, so hopefully you have recognized the clue as to how Bella is going to be able to communicate. If not…well, they'll be meeting in the next chapter, so you'll definitely know after that. This chapter was a little longer than the first one, so hopefully it makes up for not updating for an entire week. My other story only has the Epilogue left, so after that's done they should come faster.**

**And the title of this chapter is The Road I'm On by 3 Doors Down. The lyrics didn't really fit, but the song title did!**

**So, tell me how you like it, now that you know a little more of what's going on! Favorite part? Favorite line? Anything?!**

**Please review! ;p**


	3. Crashed

**A/N: You guys were one review short of making me update Wednesday…But that's okay. I'm happy just to get reviews!**

**But seriously guys, if you don't review, I don't know what you think. I cannot read minds! If you don't like something, review and tell me, just don't say it sucks, but not tell me why.**

**And one thing about this story that you need to know: **_**YOU NEED TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND ABOUT THIS ONE!!!**_** I can tell you right now that I haven't read anything like what I plan to write, which is why I'm doing it. But that does NOT mean that it will not work! Those plans are for me to know, and for you to find out as I post new chapters.**

**Bella's communication will be revealed in this chapter! I realize that no one got it, but that's okay. It wasn't meant to be "Oh, and this is how this is going to happen!" It was meant to be inconspicuous…**

**Enjoy!**

_Crashed_

**EPOV**

They told me as soon as we got home. Their big family secret-well, _extended_ family, to be exact. Every single one of them was in on it, whether by choice or by force, they were a part of it. They said they wanted me to know straight out instead of finding out by piecing everything together. They didn't want me to think they kept it from me until the time came when I found out.

They were vampires.

And Alice and Jasper had powers. She could see the future and Jasper was an empath. He could influence and read emotions. He could definitely tell when I went from disbelieving to shock to denial to fainting. It took less than three minutes, surprisingly.

*~-~-*-~-~*

I woke up lying on the couch with Esme perched next to me, a damp cloth on my forehead. If I could have, I would have jumped off the couch across the room. Instead, I propped myself up on my elbow and leaned against the back of the couch. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were standing behind it, little did I notice, which caused me to fall back down onto the couch and just lay there, all of their gold eyes on me. They looking sympathizing, but I wasn't taking any chances. If they wanted me dead, there wasn't much I could do to stop them. Actually, there was _nothing_…

"It's okay, Edward. We're not going to hurt you," Esme said softly.

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. She was smiling softly, her brown hair falling around her face to rest on her shoulders. Carlisle came to stand behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You see now why I wanted to ask them before I brought up you coming here, right?" I nodded once, but didn't turn to him.

"Edward, relax. You are in no danger here. I said you could live with us, and you will only if you want to. We just wanted you to know _what_ you are living with," Carlisle said, sounding somewhat depressed.

I turned slightly towards him to see sadness entering his calm eyes. It felt like someone was digging a knife in my heart to see the man who opened his house to me looking like that. And that I had caused it.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, acceptingly. There really was no denying what they were. Now that they had told me, I could plainly see it. The paleness, the inhuman beauty, the unnatural grace, the _feeling_ that something was different…It was all there. There was nothing I could do, anyway. I was at their mercy. I felt a wave of self-loathing come over me, and nodded again, now looking at my hands.

I felt my eyes grow hard as my mind began focusing on how much I couldn't do anymore. How I'd always need to rely on someone else, so why not a group of inhumanly strong immortal beings who could as easily kill me as help me. If they wanted me gone, they wouldn't have to do much…

"Edward, stop," Carlisle said harshly. I jumped and looked at him, surprised. He had never raised his voice to me. Jasper came and stood behind him, looking at me curiously.

"Why do you think like that?" he asked quietly. It wasn't sad, he just didn't say it loud. I looked away.

"Because it's all true. So why not?" I spat. I shook my head and lifted myself into a sitting position. I leaned my head against the back of the couch, and closed my eyes. I felt a hand run through my hair, but didn't open my eyes.

"Do you want to go to your room?" Esme asked from next to me. I opened my eyes and nodded.

She got up and brought my chair over, helping me into it from the couch. I slung my arm over her shoulders and she put her arm around my waist, lifting me into it. I lifted my leg with my hands and she lowered the rest, and then with the other. She squeezed my shoulder before I wheeled myself down the hall by the kitchen. They said these were the guest rooms, and they had decorated one for me. It was the first door, the only one on the left side.

I wheeled up to the door and turned the knob, pushing the door open and going inside. The room was a mix of red, black, and gold. The curtains were a bright gold with a black strap pulling them away from the windows, letting in the dreary light from outside. The bedspread was a checkered mix of all three colors. The carpet was a fiery red and the furniture was all cherry wood, which had its own light red tint. I had to admit that it was really nice. I didn't bother to open the closet. I just wheeled myself over to the bed and threw back the covers to reveal black sheets, which completely complimented my mood.

I put the break on next to the bed after maneuvering myself so that the chair would be facing the door and lifted myself onto the bed. It wasn't all that high, which made this task a lot easier than it had been in the hospital. There, I hadn't been able to do anything without someone there to help.

I lifted both of my legs onto the bed and pulled the covers over myself. They didn't bother to heat the house that much, since the cold didn't bother them, so it was a little chilly. It was February and we were expecting snow. I took the covers into my fist and brought them right under my chin. They smelled like vanilla for some reason, but I didn't care. I closed my eyes and calmed my raging thoughts, bringing myself into a deep but restless sleep…

*~-~-*~-~-*

_7 Months Later…_

"Emmett! Put me down! This isn't funny!" I yelled. It was the first day of school, and I really was intending on skipping. Of course, big brother Emmie had to take things into his own monstrous hands and get me there anyway. He had me slung over his shoulder and I was pounding on his back. Or trying to.

Why didn't I want to go? Where's my list?

I had started school late, only a few days after I got to Carlisle's house, but I was able to make up all of the work by the end of the year, so I moved on to senior year. But that wasn't the bad part. It was a little easier being the new kid when you knew four of the kids at school.

No, the other people were the problem. All I got were stares and sympathetic glances. The teachers tried to baby me and the other students decided to take jabs at me, since I never really talked. And for some reason, none of the girls would leave me alone. I don't know why, and Emmett tried to tell me that I was "attracting them with my manly looks", but I couldn't take him seriously when he said that. There was one that was giving me the most trouble, though.

A random girl kept coming over to me and sitting on me last year, knowing I couldn't stand up to get her off. She kept pushing herself against me, no matter how much I told her to go away. Alice and Rose had perfect timing when it came to this, showing up just as she began to get too friendly. She would glare at them before kissing my cheek and strutting away.

I always wiped it off with the back of my hand, since she leaves lipstick on me. Jasper pointed it out before anyone noticed it, and I've made sure to wipe it off since. Today looked to be another one of those days, since I could see her waiting for me on the sidewalk.

Tanya Denali was Queen Bee of Forks High School. She gets what she wants, when she wants it, and will do anything to get it. Apparently, I am her next target.

She stood there with her perfectly manicured hand on her hip, her other keeping her bag from slipping from her scantily clad shoulder. Her shirt barely covered any part of her that it should have, but none of the teachers ever said a word. Daddy was a major source of funding for supplies, so they didn't want to upset his little girl.

Emmett moved me so I was under his arm instead of on his shoulder, and I was facing where he was going. I heard someone whistle and groaned, knowing exactly who it was. Emmett turned, but quickly turned back.

Jasper was getting my chair out of the back of the Jeep, and Alice and Rose were checking each other for faults in the makeup they didn't need. I sighed and looked around. I noticed all of the same cars as last year, until I got to the truck a few spots down from us. Emmett had me facing the rest of the parking lot, so I had to turn my and look around him.

A brand new silver Ford sat three spots away, a cap over the bed. I tried to see if the driver was still in the car, but Emmett was blocking my view. Jasper set my chair down and opened it. Emmett set me down and Alice handed me my leather gloves. Esme had bought them for me so I didn't rip up my hands on the wheels of my chair. I had cut the fingers off after the first time they almost got stuck.

I slipped them on just as everyone tensed. I looked from one face to the other, trying to find out what was going on. Jasper's face changed to confusion and he tilted his head to the side. All of them turned towards that new truck. Alice started walking towards it and Jasper followed. Emmett and Rose looked at each other, and then at me.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. I shook my head and listened harder.

Trees, talking, engines, birds, guitar…

"Are you talking about the music?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, and it sounds like it's coming from that truck. Want to check it out?"

I nodded and we went over to the truck. Our parking spots were situated so that if we backed into them, the school would be behind us. This was how this person had parked, and the cement partition was behind the truck. I wheeled myself to the back to find Alice and Jasper standing there, a little wary, but listening to the music. I stopped next to Alice and Rose and Emmett stood behind me.

There was a girl in the back of the truck, leaning against the side of the bed, her legs crossed and the guitar on her lap. Her eyes were closed and she was gently teasing the strings, like she wanted to play, but didn't know what. Her long brown hair was cascading down in front of her face, obscuring it from my view. Suddenly, she started playing louder, a soft, slow song emanating from the instrument. Her head started swaying back and forth, giving me small glimpses of the beautiful face behind the hair. I sighed softly and leaned back in my chair.

The girl tensed, her head shooting up. Her eyes stayed closed, and her head whipped in my direction. That's when I realized I had gasped.

Her hair framed her face, smaller curls falling onto her shoulders. Her face was perfect, just like the Cullens. She stood up as much as she could and backed away from us, putting the guitar down. She put her hands in front of her chest, like she expected us to hurt her.

I wheeled myself over to the tailgate of her truck and rested my arms on it. It was right at my neck, so I put my chin there, too. She leaned back a little, hissing at me hesitantly. It wasn't threatening in any way, but more of a warning that she was scared.

"What's your name?" I whispered to her.

She visibly tensed, and shook her head once. She knelt down so her back was against the rear window of the truck and brought her knees up to her chin, putting her arms in between. I sat back and lifted myself onto the tailgate, turning so that I was facing her. I reached my hand out slowly, and she didn't hiss.

"We're not going to hurt you," I said softly. She turned her head slightly in the direction of my voice and opened her eyes.

They were almost completely topaz, the pupils just a pinprick in the middle of the golden sea. She looked down at my hand, but didn't seem to focus on it. She looked back up and tilted her head to the side slightly.

"We want to be your friends. We're not here to hurt you," I said again.

She looked down in the direction of my hand again and moved forward slightly, extending her own hand towards mine. I didn't grab it when she touched me, but let her take mine. She sat down next to me and turned slightly.

"What's your name?" I asked again. She was looking down at her hands, and my gaze followed. Her fingers twitched when I asked her, but she didn't answer.

"She's frustrated, Edward," Jasper put in. She turned to him, then back to me.

"That's one of my brothers. Can you tell me your name?" She shook her head sadly.

"Edward, I don't…I don't think she can talk…" Alice said. I looked at her and then back to the girl. She turned to me, but her eyes missed my face. She nodded again. I was shocked.

"Aren't…you…a vampire?" She nodded.

"But you can't talk?" She shook her head, bowing it. I put my fingers under her chin and gently raised her face to look at me.

"You can't see either, can you?"

She raised her free hand and signed to me.

_No, I can't. And my name is Bella. Bella Swan._

**A/N: So, here's chapter 3! And the secret is revealed! Hopefully now you know why Danni was important, but it's okay if you don't.**

**The song is Crashed by Daughtry!**

**So, Please review! I want to know what you think at this point! And I have a new poll, so go check it out! ;p**


	4. If Everyone Cared

**A/N: I know, I know. I told a certain person that I would update early because I got five reviews, but…things…got…in the way a little. Sorry!**

**This chapter is dedicated to readhead232! I'm sure you know why. If you want people to know, then that's fine, but it's not my story to tell.**

*****_**WARNING**__**: This chapter is somewhat…sensitive in parts. No offense is meant to anyone!**_*****

**Enjoy!**

_If Everyone Cared_

"_Aren't…you…a vampire?" She nodded._

"_But you can't talk?" She shook her head, bowing it. I put my fingers under her chin and gently raised her face to look at me._

"_You can't see either, can you?"_

_She raised her free hand and signed to me._

_No, I can't. And my name is Bella. Bella Swan._

**BPOV**

There was something about him, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. Something that made him seem…_safe_. Trustworthy. Someone I could talk to. I couldn't explain it, but I felt like I had known him forever, even though I had just met him and only knew his name. The only problem?

I _couldn't_ talk to him. Unless he could understand me.

"Bella…" he whispered. Problem solved.

I nodded in his general direction. For some reason, he was harder to see than the others. I could tell he wasn't a vampire from his scent, but I could usually see humans. He was a fuzzy spot in my shadowy vision. The other four were human shapes, varying in how dark or light they were by what they were dressed in, but he was…nothing. Just a fuzzy spot. All I could see was his outline.

"What are you talking about? Is that her name? And what was she doing with her hand just now?" the big one asked. From what I could tell, he was burly, but all muscle. He had broad shoulders, and his hair was a little on the dark side, so it was probably brown. From the shading, it looked like it was curly.

"Yes. Her name is Bella Swan. And Alice was right. She can't talk. She can't see, either. Although, you look like you can see Emmett. Can you?" I nodded, my head falling slightly to the side.

_I'm not completely blind. I can see things on a grey scale. If something is light colored, I see it as a really light grey. If it's dark, I see it as a dark grey or black. I am able to see their basic shapes,_ I signed to him. I saw what might have been a nod.

_But I can't see you_, I signed slowly. _I can see each of them, even if they kind of blur together at the edges when they stand really close, but I know there are four of them. You are a blur that…kind of…blends into the shadows of my surroundings. I can see your outline, but not your features. I don't know why, though,_ I finished, shaking my head slowly.

"Edward, what is she doing? And how come it looks like you're talking to her?" the big one, Emmett, asked again.

"She's using sign language, and yes, I am talking to her," he said shortly, like Emmett was interrupting something important. I tried to find him, and might have seen him with his chin in his hand. This was really frustrating.

All of a sudden, a wave of calming energy surged over me, and I looked at the other male vampire. He smiled a little, his light hair partially covering his eyes. I figured he was blonde. He looked to be of a slimmer build than Emmett, but there was no denying the toed muscle fighting with his shirt.

"That's Jasper. And what you just felt was his power. He can read and manipulate emotions." I turned to Edward ad he seemed to be looking at Jasper. He shook his head and turned to me.

"The little one with the short black hair is Alice, and the tall, model-like one with the long blonde hair is Rosalie." They both waved at me, the small one looking a little more hyper than the other. She jumped up and down as she waved, and I smiled.

"Oh! We only have four and a half minutes until the late bell rings! We've got to get going!" she said suddenly. I cocked my eyebrow at her and she laughed, a small, bell-like sound emanating from her mouth.

"I can see the future. It's my power." I nodded and she smiled at me, walking up and taking my hand.

"Have you gotten your schedule already?" She asked.

I nodded and went to the back of the truck, crouching down so I didn't knock myself out. I bent down and opened the small box I kept back there, pulling out a few sheets. I looked at each of them, squinting. I couldn't make out the small print, even though I could clearly tell there was black writing on the white paper. I sighed and stood up, bringing the papers back to where they were waiting. I sat down next to Edward again, and handed him the papers, hanging my head.

_I can't read them. The print is too small,_ I signed. He nodded.

"It's okay. I know how it feels not to be able to do things." I looked up at where his face should have been, and got frustrated once more. I couldn't even tell what he meant by that with my vision.

"This is the one you need. The others should go back where you got them. They look kind of important," he said turning to me. I held out my hand and he gave me the three sheets. I put them back in the box and grabbed my bag before jumping off the tailgate, landing gracefully on my feet.

I turned around and waited for Edward to follow, but he didn't. He just sat there, looking like he was hesitating to…do something. But, again, I couldn't figure out what it was.

Emmett walked over, and that's when I noticed the chair. The wheelchair sitting so close to the tailgate of my truck, it's no wonder I didn't notice it before. Then I noticed something else. How what I imagined where Edward's legs just seemed to dangle, not really moving of their own volition.

Emmett wrapped his arm around Edward's waist and Edward slung his arm over Emmett's broad shoulders. He easily lifted Edward down to the chair, gently setting him down while Alice messed with something that could have been on the ground for all I knew, and went back to Jasper's side.

Edward came to my side and looked up at me. I tilted my head to the side slightly, confusion covering my face. He just chuckled and headed for the main entrance.

"He's paralyzed. That's why he said he understood your frustration with not being able to do things by yourself. He hasn't for the past year or so." I turned to see Jasper standing next to me, his arm wrapped around Alice's small waist. I nodded slowly, understanding washing over me.

"Come on. We're going to be late," Emmett said, walking by with Rosalie's arm hooked through his.

I shook my head and headed after them, quickly catching up to Edward, since he didn't seem to be rushing towards the school. I looked around and noticed a female figure standing on the sidewalk right at the slanted part where Edward would have to go. Her hands were on her hips and she was tapping her foot impatiently. Her dark hair was styled, but I couldn't tell exactly how. I walked right next to Edward, listening as his breath turned slower as he got closer to this girl, like he was dreading her impending nearness to him.

"Bella?" he whispered. I looked at him, making sure not to walk into his chair.

"I need to ask you a really big favor." His voice was wary, but there was a need behind it that kept my attention fully on him. I put my hand on his shoulder to tell him to go on, since his gaze was locked on the girl ahead of us. He started slowing down more, and I corrected my pace to match his.

"Umm…I need some…help…with this girl," began shyly. I tensed. Was someone bothering him? Or did he not know how to approach her? He cleared his throat, bringing me back to reality before my mind went off on one of its usual tangents.

"She…just…won't leave me alone," he finally managed to spit out. He sounded ashamed, and I gave his shoulder a squeeze. Apparently, my first guess had been the right one. The only problem was when my mind started thinking of all the different things he could be talking about. He continued before I could get too far.

"She's been bothering me since I started coming here last year. I started living with the Cullens and switched schools. She just keeps trying to get with me, and I'm getting really tired of it," he sighed. I could see a faint change in the colors on his face and neck, and guessed he was blushing. I put my free hand out in front of him.

_Edward, what is she doing to you?_ I asked, making sure to sign slowly so that he caught every word. The color of his face and neck got darker and he completely stopped. I did the same and stood so that I was partially facing him, but still able to keep my hand on his shoulder.

"She stands in front of me in the hallway so that I have to stop, and then sits on me. She tries to kiss me, but, thanks to the others, that's as far as she's gotten," he said, not looking at me. I nodded.

_Okay, I'll help. Do you have any ideas?_ He smiled, I think, and nodded.

"I have one, but it won't work forever. See, everyone knows that I never let anyone push my chair, that I'd rather do it myself. So, since we have every class together, which is really weird, you could just walk while holding one of the handles behind me. I won't be alone for her to pounce on, and she'll hopefully get the hint and leave me alone. It's not much, but it's all I've got at the moment," he explained, finally turning to face me. I smiled brightly for the first time in I don't know how long and nodded.

_It's worth a shot. But it looks like we can save that for later, if you want. She's heading inside._ He turned towards the doors and sighed in relief.

"Thank God! Okay, let's go," he said, heading towards the doors. I followed right next to him and we walked into the Biology room right before the late bell rang.

*~-~*~-~*

**EPOV**

The teacher gave me a sympathetic look when we came in, stopping Bella so he could introduce her to the class. What really got me annoyed and ready to hurt someone was when he asked her to tell the class something about herself. She just frowned while he tried to convince her it was okay, thinking she was nervous even though there was no hint of it on her face.

"Mr. Banner," I said, trying to keep my annoyance and anger hidden as much as possible. He looked at me, and Bella tried signing to calm me down.

_Edward, don't. It's okay. He must not have read the note yet. Calm down._ I shook my head back and forth fiercely. Mr. Banner looked between the two of us, confused.

"No, it's not okay. He should have known before you even entered the room! You shouldn't have to go through this!" I was on the verge of yelling at this point, the other students' heads swiveling between myself and Mr. Banner.

I couldn't understand why I was feeling so protective of this girl. I had just met her today, and yes, both of us were disabled, but I couldn't find anything else that could have triggered this. I didn't get a chance to dwell on it, with Mr. Banner breaking into my thoughts.

"Mr. Cullen, would you care to explain what you are yelling about? What shouldn't Ms. Swan have to go through?" My anger boiled up again, threatening to spill over.

"You're trying to get her to do something she can't! And if you'd have just read the note the office _should have_ given you, you would know exactly what I'm talking about!" I said, slamming my hands, palms down, on the table. Several people around me jumped, surprised by the silent kid's sudden outburst.

Mr. Banner looked at Bella, confusion still all over his face. She smiled shyly, looking at the floor. Her eyes darted to me, and I nodded fiercely. She looked back at Mr. Banner and raised one hand, using just that one to sign her explanation. He just cocked his head to the side, his confusion visibly growing as she finished. He looked at her blankly, and she looked like she would have been blushing if she could.

He just kept looking at her, waiting for her to explain what she just did. She looked down at her feet, fascinated with her old grass- stained sneakers. The rest of the class continued to sit on their butts, either staring at her or resorting to whispering to the person next to them.

"Wow, she's a smart one, isn't she?" the person in front of me said.

I couldn't take it anymore. I taught myself to just ignore it, that I wouldn't have to listen to it for much longer. The problem was I couldn't ignore it if it was about someone else. Especially if the people talking had no clue about the person they were talking about. That was the case here. If I could have stood up, I would have been knocking over desks.

"Shut up, you freaking idiot! You have no freaking clue what you're talking about!" The kid, Lucas, turned around, smirking at me.

"Oh, yeah, Cullen? What is it that you know that I don't? It can't be much," he finished, causing his friend to burst into laughter. I felt my fingernails biting into my palms, but ignored it, focusing on the de bags before me.

"Mr. Cullen and Mr. Blake! Knock it off!" Mr. Banner yelled, finally reacting to something instead of just standing there.

I caught Bella's eye and she shook her head, her eyes showing shyness and regret. But what that regret was for, my mind was too hyped up with anger to think about. Mr. Banner turned back to her and she stood so that she was facing him, but the whole class could still see her. She raised her hands to chest level.

_I can't answer because I can't talk. I am mute and almost completely blind_, she signed, the message flying right over Mr. Banner's head. He was looking at her confused again, and Lucas decided to open his mouth again.

"What, she have Tourettes or something? Is that what you were talking about, Cullen? Her little spazzes?" He started laughing, but stopped abruptly when I managed to launch myself half way across the table between us. His eyes grew large, but slowly smirked when he remembered I couldn't get to him.

I felt hands grab under my arms and help me fall back into my chair without hurting myself. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Bella's light blue t-shirt and looked up at her face. She wasn't looking directly at me, not that I expected any different. She seemed to be trying to focus on the table, and I followed her gaze.

There wasn't anything on the table that I could see, so I highly doubted that she saw anything I missed. I looked at her again, leaning so that my face was almost directly in front of hers.

"Bella, what are you looking at?" I asked. She smiled softly and shook her head, standing up and wrapping her arms around herself. She took one hand away and signed quickly before replacing it.

_It's nothing. Don't worry about it._

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded and I heard laughter, immediately resulting in my blood boiling again.

"Are you so desperate for a friend that you've started talking to someone without them even saying anything? Now that is a new level of lame, even for you!" Lucas said, falling into another fit of laughter.

Bella's head whipped around and she looked like she was on the verge of full out growling before she caught herself and settled on one of the worst glares I had ever seen. Even with her small pupils, you could see exactly who the recipient was, and the fact that she was throwing very sharp daggers at him with those eyes. The whole "If looks could kill" thing popped into my head, and the sight that followed wasn't very pretty. Mr. Banner walked up, his face bright red.

"Mr. Cullen would you care to explain what is going on, since you seem to know so much?" He practically growled.

"Well, let's see. That stuff she was doing with her hands is called _sign language_. And she can't tell you anything interesting about herself because _she can not talk!_" I almost yelled. Bella put her hand on my shoulder to try and calm me. I looked at her.

"Should I just tell them the other thing, as well, since this seems to be a moment of discovery for some of us?" She shrugged and turned her head towards the window, leaving the decision to me. She kept her hand on my shoulder, letting me know she would back me either way.

"What are you talking about now, Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner asked, clearly wanting to know everything before this had a chance to happen again.

"She's almost completely blind. She can only see…what was it? People and basic shapes?" I asked turning to her. She turned so I could see half of her face and she nodded.

_I can see where things are if they aren't too small, but everything is on a basic grey scale. Just shadows._ I nodded and turned back to Mr. Banner, repeating what she said. He nodded and sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair.

"Is that it, Mr. Cullen?" I thought for a moment and nodded. He turned and walked to the front of the room.

"Well, I know none of you are going to be able to concentrate after what just happened, so take the last…" he looked at the clock his eyes widening slightly, "ten minutes to talk. Keep it down and remember I gave all of you time to catch up with your neighbors today when we start the actual work tomorrow." Everyone cheered at first, but it quickly turned to a groan.

Bella sat down next to me, moving her chair closer to mine and sharing my armrest. She tried making jokes to me, trying to cheer me up, but it wasn't helping. I just couldn't get his words out of my head. They kept repeating over and over, taunting me. Causing me to remember everything I had to deal with. Everything I tried to ignore, thinking I had succeeded. Apparently I hadn't.

_The sympathetic glances, quickly turning away as I got closer._

_The whispers picking up from where they left off once I passed the people involved in them._

_The glances that pity when they're not being sympathetic._

_The people that treated me like a social leper, walking along the farthest edges of the hallway just to avoid me._

I jumped when I felt a hand on my arm, squeezing gently. I turned to find Bella trying to find my eyes, fruitlessly searching for something she couldn't see, and visibly becoming more concerned and frustrated at the same time. I put my hand over hers and she smiled, a smile that seemed to brighten the area around us even with everything that had happened such an extremely short time ago. And the amazing thing was it actually touched her eyes, brightening her perfect features, as well.

It hit me, right at that moment, just how much worse she had it than I did. I could see the people talking about me, looking at me. Avoiding me. I could put a face to the voices. I could defend myself. Tell them how much they didn't understand. How good they had it, having full control over their bodies.

But Bella couldn't. Her vision gave her only a figure. Everyone looked exactly the same as everyone else. She would never know the people who tormented her. She would never be able to defend herself on her own. She could only take the blows or move away, to a school where no one would know about her. It wouldn't solve the problem. Nothing would solve it.

I passed my thumb over her knuckles a few times, deciding. I wouldn't let people hurt her. I would make sure she was happy. No one would be able to hurt her while I was around.

No one.

**A/N: Well…that was different from what I planned…Oh, well. What did you think? The song from the title, as many of you should know, is If Everyone Cared by Nickelback.**

**Favorite part? Favorite line? Something you would like to see happen if I can get it to fit?**

**Please review! XD**


	5. Look After You

**A/N: Hey, sorry this wasn't up sooner, but you guys were awesome with your reviews! I had 5 the day after I put up the chapter! But then you stopped…I just got alerts… :( Well, at least you five reviewed…**

**I am going camping this weekend, so if I don't reply to your reviews quickly, that's why. It'll also cut down on my writing time, so I don't know if an early update will be possible. I also have to work on my English project which, lucky for me, I can use fanfic for! I'm rewriting the poem, ****Beowulf****, so that it is more modern. I'll be putting it up soon, so if you want to check it out, feel free to tell me how it is!**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

_Look After You_

**BPOV**

The rest of the morning was pretty uneventful. Edward and I got through the rest of our classes without as big of an outburst as Bio. The teachers introduced me to the class, and I sat down. They went through the same senior year explanation in every class, emphasizing certain things like we hadn't already heard them. I made sure to be touching Edward in case something went wrong. Even if it was just his arm, I would know if something was bothering him.

We were sitting in our last period before lunch, and he was starting to fidget. We only had about ten minutes before the bell rang, dismissing us to the cafeteria, and his tapping and shaking only got worse as it got closer. I took his hand in mine and he squeezed it like he was going to be facing his execution. If I were human, he would have surely crushed my hand.

When the bell finally rang, his figure seemed to jump straight up out of the chair. He squeezed my hand tighter, which shocked me, and looked around frantically. It was times like these when I wished I was able to see his people's faces. It would have helped me to know exactly what he was feeling.

I squeezed his and gently, and his head whipped around to face me. All of the other students had left for lunch, leaving us alone. I reached over and pulled his bag to him, jerking my head in the direction of the door. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding his head. He hooked his bag around the handles of his chair and made his way to the door. I slung my bag over my shoulder and followed.

The hallways weren't as busy as they had been before, everyone probably rushing off to the social hour technically known as lunch. Edward wheeled down the hallway towards the cafeteria doors, not stopping for anything. But what I saw would have made me stop in my tracks if I hadn't unconsciously grabbed one of the chair handles.

Everyone parted as Edward made his way down the hall. The closer he got to them, the faster they moved away, if they hadn't already. Quiet whispering began as the thunderous conversations instantly died. I saw hands moving to cover mouths as the forms leaned together, soft words barely making it to my ears.

"…_crashed_…"

"…_both of them_…"

"…_said there was no chance_…"

"…_dead when they arrived_…"

"…_so sad_…"

"…_can't imagine how_…"

"…_been depressed forever_…"

I only got small sections of each conversation as we walked by. I felt a slight jerk in my arm and saw Edward's arms moving faster, trying to get his chair to move faster. I felt my eyes start to burn and blinked back the venom tears building there. I didn't need any questions right now. Especially from people I just met. They were vampires, and I didn't want them asking anything just yet.

I let go of Edward's chair slowly, so he didn't go flying without the extra baggage. He flew off in the direction of the doors, but suddenly stopped as they burst open. I could hear his increased heartbeat stutter as a girl rushed out.

"Oh, Eddie! Where have you been, you silly? I haven't seen you all day!" the girl said shrilly. I saw Edward's whole body tense as she walked over and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I wanted to talk to you this morning, but you took too long!" she whined. She sat down right on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Why were you walking with that…_other_ girl?"

He practically convulsed as she said that, making her jump slightly. I could hear him grinding his teeth together, trying to keep himself from making another huge scene.

"I was with her," he ground out, "because she is my friend. Not that it's any of _your_ business, _Tanya_." He practically spat her name out of his mouth. She leaned closer to his face, and I felt my hands slowly clenching into fists.

"Oh, but it _is_ my business, Eddie. Anything about you is my business," she purred, turning her face into his neck. He flinched away, but he couldn't go far. She put one hand on the side of his face, keeping him from turning away from her.

"Tanya, knock it off," Edward said, trying to pry her arms away. Her arms dropped away, but moved to somewhere on his lap. He really jumped, then, but she didn't budge.

"No, I don't think so, Edward. I don't think I will," she whispered in his ear.

And that was it.

I rushed over and grabbed her upper arm, yanking her off him. She landed on her feet, barely keeping her balance as her high heels slid on the tiled floors. I was struggling hard to keep myself from fully snarling at her, since a whole hallway of humans happened to be watching.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your hands off me!" she yelled, trying to break my grip on her. I let her go and stood between her and Edward.

"What are you doing?" I just glared at her.

"Bella, come on," Edward whispered from behind me. But I didn't move.

"This is that girl you were with, isn't it?" Tanya yelled at Edward.

"Yes. And, like I said, what I do is none of your business," Edward said, anger lacing his tone.

"Of course, it is," she said. "We're going out, aren't we?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.

"What? We've _never_ been going out!" he shouted. I almost laughed. "Who told you we were? What made you _think_ we were?" Tanya tensed, and even I saw the new target of her glare.

"What did you tell him, you bitch?" she said. I just continued to glare at her.

"She had nothing to do with us, Tanya! There _was no us_!" Edward yelled again. She didn't seem to pay any attention to him.

"Answer me, you dirty whore! What did you say to him?" She took two steps closer, trying to intimidate me. I saw her waver slightly when she got closer to me and could see my eyes better. She quickly covered it by coming at me again.

"Oh, I see now. You're the school's new charity case. Did you put on your pity-me face and make him melt in your hands?" she sneered. I heard Edward's chair move, but moved back in front of his one side, effectively blocking him for the time being.

_I'm not the dirty whore, here. You're the one claiming a relationship with someone that doesn't seem to like you very much_, I signed.

"What the hell was that supposed to be?" Tanya yelled.

"She was telling you exactly what she thinks about what you've said. And I have to completely agree," Edward said smugly. I felt him take my hand and play with my fingers. "It was something along the lines of you being the dirty whore and how you are trying to make a nonexistent relationship happen with someone who doesn't like you." He chuckled, lacing his fingers with mine. Tanya gasped.

"I cannot believe you just said that!" I held up one finger.

_Here's some sign language you might actually understand_.

Edward translated, and she looked at me. I smirked and glanced at Edward. I was guessing he knew what I was thinking, because he squeezed my hand. I turned back to her and put my hand out, my palm facing me. She put her hand on her hip and tilted her head to one side. I slowly lowered my fingers so that just one was up.

I flipped her off, standing there for a few seconds before turning to Edward and jerking my head in the direction of the cafeteria. I heard him laugh and he let go of my hand, following as I led the way. I saw the figures in front of the door move to either side and I pulled it open, stepping back and performing a sweeping bow, letting Edward enter before me. I saw what could have been a shake of his head and followed, letting the door close on the silent hallway.

**EPOV**

I couldn't have been happier about what Bella did in the hall. I went over to the lunch table, Bella stubbornly carrying my tray, with a huge smile on my face. Alice looked like she was trying to keep herself from cracking up, but Emmett boomed as Bella set my tray down. She jumped slightly, her head whipping to him. She relaxed when she realized what the sound was and smiled shyly. All I could think about was how this would have been another blusher if she could have.

"So?" Alice said.

"So…what?" I asked, confused.

"I think you know," she said, twining her fingers together in front of her. My eyes widened. She must have seen me take Bella's hand in a vision. I just shrugged nonchalantly.

"It was nothing." Bella turned to me questioningly, but I kept my gaze on Alice. She squinted at me, and slowly turned to Jasper.

I didn't know what the big deal was. I asked her to help me with Tanya, and she did. I just helped her while she was helping me. There wasn't anything to it. I mean, I just met her today.

I shook my head and started my lunch, watching as everyone conversed with their significant other. Well, everyone except Bella. She sat there resting her chin in her hands and looking out the window directly in front of us. She had a faraway look in her eyes, and the faint sunlight reflected off the gold there. Tiny rainbows shown in her mahogany hair where the light hit it. She blinked once, but didn't turn.

I hastily went back to my food before she could feel the holes I was burning in the side of her head with my stare. I saw someone turn and looked up to see Alice looking at me strangely, kind of like she was seeing the future, but she wasn't having a vision. She was using her imagination to do something, and I didn't know if I wanted to find out what about. She smiled slyly at me, cementing my fear of her thoughts. I did _not_ want to know.

I finished my lunch and dumped the tray in the trash can behind me. I rolled over to the tray return and slide it up onto the pile that had already formed, and made my way back to the table. Bella jumped slightly at my approach, but smiled when she turned to me. Her face seemed to glow in its own unreal light…

"Edward?" Alice asked, waving her hand in front of my face. I blinked once and looked at her. She smiled that creepy grin again, and turned away. Now, I was actually curious, but not enough to ask. I'd probably regret it. I looked at the clock on the wall and nudged Bella with my elbow.

"Want to get a head start? We've got less than five minutes until the bell rings," I said, putting my bag on the back of my chair. She put on a small smile and nodded once, grabbing her bag and standing up.

We said goodbye and headed for the doors, the supervisors smiling at us as we went by. The bell rang just as we took our seats in class, and we watched as the rest of the students filed in, most deep in a conversation they had started during lunch. Each of them cast a glance our way, the looks varying in length, before starting to whisper to the person next to them. We just started talking amongst ourselves. Well, I talked. Bella signed, silently laughed, or smiled.

The rest of the day went on the same way. Each class was as productive as the last. The teachers went through what would be happening throughout the school year, and then gave us a free period. We talked about everything and nothing. Randomly laughing about something we had talked about earlier, or telling stories of our families, most of them embarrassing.

I hadn't opened up to anyone as much as I did with Bella. I never really talked to the others, not even Carlisle. They didn't ask, so I didn't tell. I was happy about the space after I had first come to live with them. Afterwards, I just got used to them leaving me alone. They never left me out of anything they did, except when it came to hunting. They would talk to me about things, but never about my other family or what happened. I was able to lock away my feelings and the memories and try to start over. I still had dreams about it every now and then, but they never said anything. I could tell Jasper knew, but he just looked at me. I nodded to him and he would nod back. That's as far as it went.

But it was different with Bella. I could talk about anything with her, even though I had only known her for a few hours. We hadn't touched that delicate subject, but I knew we would at some point. No, what had brought that up was the mystery of Bella's change, and how she managed to be mute and almost completely blind even though she had changed. I didn't know what happened, and I didn't know if I wanted to try to get her to talk about it. But, just like with my story, hers would be brought up eventually. Especially if we kept talking like we were already. One of us would build up enough curiosity.

The bell of our last class rang, bringing me out of my reverie. I put my bag in my lap and waited for Bella to stand up. She slung her bag over her shoulder and smiled at me, telling me she was ready to leave. We went out to the parking lot and were quickly joined by the others.

"So, was your day as boring as ours?" Emmett asked us. I just looked at him and Bella rolled her eyes. He raised an eyebrow.

"Should I take that as a yes?" I chuckled and shook my head. Bella leaned back on her heels and waved, saying goodbye.

"Where are you going?" Alice whined. "Edward hogged you all day! We didn't get to talk!" Bella smiled shyly, but raised her hands, palms up, in an apologizing gesture.

"You should come over! None of us have homework, so we can talk as much as we want!" I saw a flash of fear go through Bella's eyes, and Jasper chuckled.

"You should be afraid, Bella. When she says that, you know she'll be the one doing all of the talking. No matter if you're really listening or not." Alice slapped his chest and he chuckled again. Bella's shoulders moved up and down in silent laughter and she hesitantly nodded her head.

"I'll show you the way," I said, and we went over to her truck. Alice and Rose were talking animatedly, but I couldn't hear what about.

I stopped outside the passenger door and opened it. Bella's truck was short enough for me to lift myself into, but the running boards were proving to be an obstacle. They stopped me from getting right next to the truck. I put my hands on the floor of the truck and slowly lifted myself out of my chair.

All of a sudden, the chair started to tip and my thigh got stuck under the arm rest. I tried to ease myself back down, hoping the chair would stand back up, but it continued to fall. I felt my arms starting to give out, but another pair appeared under me, wrapping around my waist and under my legs.

Bella lifted me onto the seat of her truck and proceeded to fold up my chair like nothing happened. Which I was extremely grateful for. She set my chair behind the passenger seat and walked to the driver's side. She got in and started the truck, driving towards the exit.

I directed her all the way to our house, a slight beeping starting up every now and then, quickly followed by Bella slightly turning the wheel in that direction. We pulled into the driveway, Carlisle and Esme seeming to expect us…

**A/N: Oooohhhh…What are they going to say?! And, Bella, way to go, girl!**

**So, as I said, I am doing a project, making ****Beowulf**** into a modern story. Many of you may or may not know, but it was actually a poem before it became a movie. Keep a look out for it if you're interested! It should be up…Tuesday? Some time around there…**

**Please review and tell me what you think! And I'm not just talking about the regular five! ;p**


	6. Permanent

**A/N: Okay, so you can blame College Criminal Justice homework, my term paper, the gym, school in general, and a little procrastination for the long wait. I just hope it's worth it!**

**Enjoy!**

_Permanent_

**EPOV**

"Hey, honey," Esme said, walking down to Bella's truck as Bella opened my door. She had already gotten my chair out and Esme had just gotten over the shock of me coming home with someone other than the others. You could tell she was still unsure, but willing to play along.

"Who's your friend, Edward?" she asked as Bella helped me into my chair. I draped my arm across her shoulders and she put one arm around my waist while the other went under my knees. Alice popped out of nowhere and pushed my foot rests down, placing my feet on them just as Bella set me down. I turned to Esme at the same time she did.

_I'm Isabella Swan, but you can just call me Bella_, she signed. I heard Esme gasp as she finally caught sight of Bella's eyes. She collected herself just enough to shake Bella's outstretched hand.

"I'm Esme, Edward's mother. I'm afraid I haven't learned sign language, so I'm not sure what you just said, dear," she said looking like she could have blushed. I chuckled.

"She said her name is Isabella Swan, but you can just call her Bella," I said. Esme looked at me thankfully before turning back to Bella.

"Bella…That's a beautiful name, dear. Did you two meet at school today?" she asked. Both Bella and I nodded, causing her to laugh.

"Well, I guess I got my answer," she said, just as Carlisle came up and put a hand on her waist. I saw the calculating look in his eyes and gave him a look. He smiled sheepishly, knowing he was caught.

"Bella," Esme continued, not noticing our exchange, "this is my husband, Carlisle. This is Edward's new friend from school, Carlisle." Bella tilted her head in greeting before offering her hand to him. He shook it, but didn't let go.

"Bella, I hope you don't mind my asking-" I cut him off before he could continue.

"Carlisle, I'm sure Bella has somewhere to be instead of here satisfying your curiosity," I said sharply. Bella took one of my hands in her free one and squeezed it, effectively calming me slightly. She waved him on as I looked away, already thinking of the numerous questions he could ask that could offend her. I felt a wave of calm and glared at Jasper, who smirked and shrugged.

"As I was saying, it looks like you are partially blind. Is that the case?" He was still looking at her eyes in that usually uncomfortable way, with his face really close to hers, but she didn't seem to mind. Or she didn't realize it. She nodded and I watched as his eyes widened. He stood straight and slowly let go of her hand.

"And…what about the signing?" he said softly, apparently guessing that this might be a danger zone. She just smiled and signed with her free hand.

_Ever since I changed, I haven't talked. Every time I tried, nothing would happen. So, I just sign now_, she said. I translated for them and Esme gasped again. But it was Alice who broke the somber mood.

"Oh, my God! You haven't talked for that long? I couldn't go without talking for as long as I've been changed! It would be horrible!" she babbled.

"_Alice!_" I hissed. She abruptly stopped and threw her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide. Bella just squeezes my hand again like it's no big deal.

_She's right, it is hard. Not a lot of people take the time to learn sign language so they can talk to me, or know it already. They either talk to me like I'm an idiot, or don't talk to me at all,_ Bella signed. I repeated it and everyone's faces grew sad. She just shrugged it off and turned to me.

_Are you all set?_ She asked.

"I just need my bag," I said. She leaned into the truck and grabbed my bag where it had somehow fallen behind her seat. I took it from her and set it on my lap. She moved towards the driver's side and waved at me.

"Where are you going, dear?" Esme asked. Bella looked at her and shrugged. I turned to translate, but she put a finger in my face, a slightly annoyed look in her eyes. I just smiled sheepishly and turned away.

"What do you mean, you don't know where you're going? Do you have somewhere?" she asked cocking her head to the side. Bella shrugged again, hesitantly shaking her head.

_I just go into the woods. That's why there the cap over the bed of the truck. I keep all of my stuff in there,_ she signed. I blanched.

"You're living in your _truck_?" I asked. She looked down at her feet and nodded, one hand holding the driver's side door. Esme walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, that just won't do. I won't force you, but you can stay here, if you want. We have an extra bedroom that you can put your things in and you can come and go as you please. Doesn't that sound better, dear?" she said softly, trying to persuade her. It seemed like she got over her speculation.

Bella looked up at her, indecision on her face. I thought I saw something in her eyes, but it was a quick flash. Like something wild…

"It's completely up to you, dear. It would just make me feel better to know you had somewhere to go instead of being stuck outside all by yourself," Esme said, pulling out the caring-mother card.

Bella glanced at me and I shrugged, hoping she could tell what I did. I really didn't want to influence her in any way. She seemed happy living the way she was, but that might have just been from my point of view. If she was anything like me, more than I could tell already, she would be really good at hiding her feelings in public. My glitch was that they didn't stay hidden. She never seemed anything but happy, except for that time with Tanya today.

She turned back to Esme, decision in her eyes. She nodded and Esme's face broke out into a huge smile. She wrapped her arms around Bella, whose eyes widened slightly before she relaxed into Esme's embrace. I smiled at her and she smiled back, resting her head on Esme's shoulder.

She leaned back after a few moments and took a single step back, still facing Esme. She put both of her hands on her chest, one over the other, and then, in one fluid motion, moved her hands so her palms were facing up and her hands moved out towards Esme.

_Thank you._

She smiled softly, tears filling her eyes. Esme smiled back, not needing my translation. She hugged her again, not letting go as quickly as before. Bella buried her face in Esme's shoulder as silent sobs wracked her body. Esme turned her head, not letting go of her.

"Emmett, Jasper, will you bring her things to the guest room, please?" she asked. They nodded and Bella pulled away slightly, looking at me.

_It's just my stuff in the back and my backpack. That's all I have,_ she signed, her hand shaking slightly.

I told them what she said and they nodded, Jasper taking her pack and Emmett opening the back of the truck. Carlisle opened the driver's side door and slowly set Bella down on the side so she could compose herself. She sat there shaking her head and laughing uncomfortably, sniffing and swiping at her eyes.

_I'm sorry, I usually don't break down like this,_ she said.

I just shook my head and stopped right in front of her, my knees lightly bumping into hers. She smiled, but didn't meet my gaze. I placed my hand on her knee and squeezed. She took my hand and kept it in hers, playing with my fingers as she continued to sniff. She took a deep breath before looking at me, smiling slightly.

_Thank you, Edward,_ she signed with one hand.

"No problem, Bella. Come on. I'll show you your room," I said, gently tugging as I turned myself around with my free hand. She smiled again and nodded.

I put her hand on the handle of my chair just behind my left shoulder and slowly moved forward, letting her know I was moving. We followed the rest of my family into the house, me moving up the three step ramp while Bella pushed me up from behind. I could tell she was trying not to be too obvious that she was helping, but I could tell. I still appreciated the gesture, though.

We went down the hall, going past the closed door to my room, and entered the guest room. The walls were a bright sky blue, Esme deciding to make it themed. The wall behind the headboard had a mural of a sunny meadow, the only trees located far off in the distance. The grass seemed to wave in an invisible breeze as I stared at the painting, imagining whether a place like that could really exist. The bedspread was a soft blue, just a shade darker than the walls. The ceiling had been painted with different shades of blue, silver-lined clouds randomly showing here and there.

Bella walked in front of me, her eyes searching for something they couldn't see. She would stare at some piece of furniture, trying to find out what it was, but would quickly move on to the next, slowly making her way around the room.

_Can you tell me what these are?_ She signed, pointing to something on top of her dresser. I wheeled over, not being able to see what it was. I stopped beside her to find that she was pointing to some knick knacks Esme had recently bought, announcing that the room was finally finished with their addition. They were three small figurines, a different kind of creature on a small glass orb.

"They're just some figurines Esme bought, trying to finish her decorating," I said. She turned to me, waiting for me to continue, with one of them gently resting in her palm.

"This one," I said, reaching up to the top of the dresser, "is a fox." She waved for me to continue.

"It's got a red tint to it, and it's sitting down with its tail draped over its feet. In the ridge of its back, there's a small red stone. It shows on both sides," I said, putting it back. I took down the next one, turning it over in my hands.

"This one has a dragon on it. It's standing up, but all four of its feet are on the glass. There's small spikes lining its back, and they're gold. It looks like it has armor on because of the gold on it. The wings have holes in them, and they have a violet coloring to them. It's got a small purple stone right in the middle of its chest. It's tail loops around and the tip almost touches the glass." I put that one back before turning myself towards her.

"And then this one," I said motioning towards her hands. "This is a wolf. It's standing in an attack position with its teeth bared. The hair on its back is standing up and they tinted it a soft blue. Its tail is arched up over its back, and," I paused, bringing her hands down to where I could see, "there's a blue stone in this one's back, too." She moved the figure to her right hand and signed with her left.

_What about its eyes?_ She asked. I took it from her and turned it so I could see the face.

"There's nothing there. Just black, like they couldn't get a brush to paint in there." I saw her face fall. "It's a really small hole, Bella. I'm sure they would have painted it if they could," I said, not knowing if that was what was even bothering her. She shook her head.

_It's not that,_ she signed again. _Don't worry about it. It's nothing._

I wasn't convinced, but I didn't press her. She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when I moved away. I heard her put the figure back down, but I didn't notice her come up behind me until she put her hand on my shoulder.

I had stopped right in front of the antique hope chest Esme had bought, looking at the delicate carvings in the wood. Small animals, flowers, and trees adorned all of the sides, creating a scene that could be found in the meadow her room created. I ran my hand along the lid, but didn't open it, instead explaining what it was to Bella.

"Esme found this chest at an antique store. It's got all these carvings on it, animals and trees and flowers. She thought it matched the mural on your wall, so she bought it." I looked up at her and she nodded, her head tilted slightly to one side, her gaze locked on the lid.

_What's in it?_ She asked with the hand that wasn't perched on my shoulder. I shrugged, knowing she would feel it.

_Can we open it?_ I shrugged again.

"I don't see why not. Esme never said anything, but none of us really came in here," I said, reaching under the lid to lift it up. Bella's hand left my shoulder as she moved to help me.

"Edward? Bella?" Esme called. Her head peaked around into the room and both Bella and I took our hands away, like children caught doing something wrong. She just smiled softly and came in, kneeling down next to me and facing the chest.

"I was wondering when you would get curious about this," she sighed.

"I- I didn't- You didn't- We just-" I babbled. She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"It's okay, Edward. It's not a secret. Just something I was waiting on you to find before I brought it up," she said, her hand moving slowly over the lid, caressing it.

"This has something to do with me?" I asked, hesitating. She nodded. I saw Bella shift from foot to foot uncomfortably and turned to her.

_I'm going to have a look around outside, okay?_ She said.

"Bella, you don't have to go-" She shook her head rapidly, and I stopped.

_No, this is none of my business. I'll be back later._ I looked at her questioningly, forgetting she couldn't see me. I took her hand and squeezed it.

_Don't worry_, she signed with her free hand. _I'll come back._ She smiled before gently pulling her hand from my grasp. She walked out the door, just barely missing running her shoulder into it. I felt Esme's hand rest on my shoulder and turned back to her.

"Don't worry about her, dear. From what I can tell, this is all very new to her. It doesn't seem like she's been with anyone of her own kind for quite a while, or at all since she's changed. Just give her some time," she said softly. I nodded slowly.

"She just told me not to worry about her, too." Esme laughed.

"Well, back to the mysterious contents of this chest. I have to warn you, though, dear, it's going to bring up some things you may not want to think about just yet. And I don't want you thinking anything bad about us. We just thought they would be nice to have once you healed somewhat," she said, looking at me pleadingly.

I nodded once, but wasn't sure what it was she was talking about. She nodded back, looking like she was trying to convince herself of something, but I didn't comment. She turned around and sighed, opening the chest but moving herself so she was right in my line of sight. She turned to look at me before bowing her head and scooting over. I leaned over the side and felt my eyes widen and flood with old tears.

They must have gone to my house after the accident, because this chest was filled with things I remembered from my home. Covering much of the items was my baby blanket. My mother had been obsessed with anything that concerned me, since I was her only son. She had kept it in her pillow case as soon as I stopped needing it. I picked it up and held it in my hands like it would either disappear or fall apart if I did something wrong. I brought it to my face to find that it still smelled like her.

I carefully laid it across my lap and looked in the chest again. There were a whole bunch of little things, ornaments that had been in my room or the living room. Even my parent's bedroom. There were photos all over in there, like they had been carefully arranged with the items they were related to being right next to, or under them. The envelopes had years on them, but only significant ones. Every single birthday was in that chest, ten or more photos showing just how much I changed from one year to the next. I moved some of them aside, trying to see what was near the bottom, and let out an almost silent whimper of pain.

My parent's wedding picture was in there, capturing one of the two happiest moments of their lives. My mother's brown hair cascaded past her shoulders, stray curls falling on her arm. Her green eyes sparkled with life and happiness, mirroring the same feeling in my father's brown ones. His bronze mop, similar to my own, had managed to fall just above his eyes, threatening to cover them. They were holding hands and looked to be on the verge of breaking out in hysterics at how formal they were supposed to be. That was something Edward and Elizabeth never were my entire life. They were never serious unless they had to be, letting me do what I wanted so I would earn not to do it again if it was bad.

I felt something wet land on my arm and jerked. I hadn't even felt the tears falling down my face. Esme placed her arms around me, letting me lean into her shoulder. I shook my head once before leaning over the side again, and picking up a frame. My chest convulsed as I looked upon my smiling family.

The picture had been taken right before the crash. My dad had put me in a headlock right before the camera took the picture. Mom had set it up on the table on the porch so that it would take the picture after a certain amount of time. She was laughing as my dad rubbed his knuckles on my head and I tried to twist myself from his grasp. I was glaring at him as he looked down at me fully concentrating on not letting me go. My mom was clutching her sides as she tried not to fall over laughing. We had been so excited about the trip to Port Angeles. We just never ended up there.

I felt the frame start sliding from my grasp, but I couldn't get my hand to close around it. I just sat there as it fell to the floor, Esme catching it before it broke. She was about to set it back in the chest, but I unconsciously made a noise of protest, causing her to stop. She looked at me before setting it on top of my blanket in my lap. She closed the chest, putting everything but the blanket and the two pictures back inside.

"Alice had a vision after Carlisle became your doctor. It was you living here with us. We thought it might be good for you to have a few things from before, but we can get rid of them if you want," she said softly. I shook my head slowly, the tears still streaming down my face. She nodded and put her hand on my knee.

"You want to go back to your room?" she asked. I nodded, my constricted throat not allowing me to speak, my body tense and convulsing from the sobs I was holding in.

She moved behind my chair and pushed me to my room. She stopped, not knowing where I wanted to go. I pushed myself over to my bed, my arms shaking and making it harder to go straight. I lined myself up with my nightstand and set the frames up on it, doing it slowly so they wouldn't fall off. I put my blanket on my bed before trying to push myself up on it, failing as my arms gave out under my weight. Esme went to lift me, and I didn't protest. She set me down and I rolled over so I was facing the wall, the blanket clutched to my chest. I heard her close my door before my sobs ripped from my chest.

**BPOV**

_Is this the moment where I look you in the eye?_

_Forgive my broken promise_

_That you'll never see me cry._

I knew Edward had wanted me to stay with him, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was something he needed to see on his own. That it had to do with something I knew nothing about, so it was none of my business.

I was running back to the house when I felt it. Someone's overwhelming grief. I opened the door slowly, not wanted to alert anyone to what I was feeling. I walked down the hall to my room when I heard him, my heart feeling like it was being pulled out of my chest.

_And everything, it will surely change,_

_Even if I tell you I won't go away today,_

_Will you think that you're all alone_

_When no one's there to hold your hand?_

Edward was crying.

His cries shook my very soul, bringing out the same level of grief I had once experienced. And I came to one conclusion as I stood outside his door.

_And all you know seems so far away,_

_And everything is temporary,_

_Rest your head,_

_I'm permanent_

I wouldn't leave him alone like I was. I would comfort him, give him what I needed when I felt loss.

I opened his door, not bothering to be quiet even though the door was silent. I closed it behind me and walked over to where his form was, just barely visible to me in the dusk of his room.

_I know he's living in hell every single day_

_And so I ask oh God is there some way for me to take his place?_

_And when they say it's all touch and go,_

_I wish I could make it go away,_

_But still you say,_

I saw just enough of him to watch as he convulsed as he lay there, his sobs becoming silent as they grew worse. A loud wail ripped from his chest and he wrapped his arms around himself unable to draw his legs up. He was trying to keep himself together…

_Will you think that you're all alone_

_When no one's there to hold your hand?_

_When all you know seems so far away,_

_And everything is temporary,_

_Rest your head,_

_I'm permanent._

_I'm permanent._

I brushed the back of my hand along his forehead soothingly. His body reduced itself to trembling until I moved my hand away. His shot out and caught my wrist, the lighting of his room slowing down my reaction.

_Is this the moment I look you in the eye?_

I paused, but he didn't let go. I took a step closer to the head of the bed and he moved with me, keeping my arm so I could only walk closer unless I pulled myself from his grasp. I glanced over to the couch I had been planning on pulling over next to the bed, but knew he would start up again if I made him let go. I knew I would have.

_Forgive my promise,_

_That you'll never see me cry…_

I climbed up on his bed and lay down on my back next to him. He immediately turned over and buried his face in my shirt, wrapping his arms around me. I felt his tears soak into my shirt, but I didn't complain. I ran my fingers through his hair and his trembling slowed, as did his breathing.

He fell asleep with his face in my chest, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and a tear in his hair, not of his own making…

**A/N: So? Was it worth the extremely long wait? I CANNOT apologize enough for that…**

**If you read closely at the end, you'll see a little info about Bella. Not about her past, just something she can do even as a vampire. Her powers will be exposed soon enough, but not in this chapter! Maybe one in the next one…I'll have to see how everything falls…**

**Oh! Anyone who has a Facebook account, look me up! The link is in my profile! Don't be shy! Just tell me you're from Fanfiction, and I'll know.**

**I think that's about it. Thank you to the whopping 6 people who voted on my poll. And the song is Permanent by David Cook. Really sad…**

**Please review! I love getting alerts, but reviews are even better! I have a day off Tuesday, so if I get…8 reviews before then, I'll work on a chapter and try to get it up then.**

_**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!**_


	7. Please Don't Leave Me

**A/N: Good news: Term paper is pretty much done in terms of time consuming work.**

**Bad news: Mom just had surgery on her shoulder and is requiring a bit of assistance from yours truly.**

**Good news: More time to write since term paper is complete (somewhat).**

**Bad news: Freed time is now taken up by mother and College Criminal Justice homework.**

**In terms of the delay of this chapter, that is the only explanation I can give you… :( Hope it's worth it!**

**Enjoy!**

_Please Don't Leave Me_

**EPOV**

I felt my eyes stinging as I slowly began waking up. I rubbed my eye with one hand, then the other. Something was sticking to my face as I tried to roll over, and I brushed it way, jumping as I realized it felt like a shirt. My eyes shot open to reveal Bella lying next to me, my arm under her and her arm around me, her hand in my hair. Flashes of the night before went through my head and I groaned, putting my hand over my eyes. She inhaled deeply before exhaling, a small sound coming out as she slowly stretched. It sounded almost like a yawn. I moved my hand to find her looking at me, a small smile on her face.

_Good morning,_ she said, using the hand that wasn't still wrapped around my shoulders.

What really surprised me was how she was able to say that like nothing had happened the night before, like she hadn't walked into my room as I cried like a baby, needing her to comfort me about something that happened almost an entire year ago. I felt the familiar flow of self-loathing rise up, but I pushed it down for later.

"Morning," I said, my voice heavy with sleep. She stretched again, closing her eyes like it was the best feeling in the world at that moment. But that's when I realized something.

"Bella, were you just _sleeping_?" I asked quietly, disbelieving. She relaxed her body and opened her eyes, looking at the ceiling. She shrugged before turning her face to me.

_I guess you could say that_, she signed. _I go into a kind of trance that helps me relax._ She shrugged again.

"Does it have to do with your power?" She shrugged again. This seemed to be a topic that she was reluctant to talk about.

_I guess it helps with it. I do it because it helps me…feel…normal, you could say. It helps burn time, instead of me trying to find ways to entertain myself. It's what I do when I go into the woods, if I'm not hunting._

I nodded, but didn't ask anything else. I lay back down so that my head was resting on my free arm while the other was still around Bella. She didn't seem to mind, not moving the arm that was around me even though I had been prying. I sighed and closed my eyes, relaxing as she started running her fingers through my hair again. We stayed there like that for a while, until I sighed and started leaning up. Bella's hand paused and I looked at her.

_Are you okay?_ She signed.

"Yeah, I just remembered we still have school today, which means I need to get ready," I said, mentally groaning. She shook her head.

_No, not that. Are you okay after yesterday?_ She signed this slowly, like she thought it was going to set me off. I just nodded.

"I guess it was just a shock, that's all. It wasn't what I was expecting to see in there," I said quietly, picking up the blanket I had ended up laying on. I ran my fingers over it before draping it across my pillow, tears filling my eyes again. It still smelled the same.

She nodded and I realized she didn't even know what it was Esme had shown me. But she didn't ask. She ran her fingers through one last time before getting up and helping me to my chair. I sat down and went over to my dresser. I heard the door open, but not close, so I looked to see Bella half way into the hall. She was looking around and then at me, her eyes questioning. I smiled.

"I'm okay. I'll call if I need something." She visibly relaxed and nodded, smiling before closing the door behind her.

I grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt, realizing I had never changed out of yesterday's and went into the bathroom. I set my clothes down on the arm of my chair, put on the brake, and moved myself to the higher chair at the sink. I brushed my teeth and tried to tame my bronze mop, quickly giving up on it just like every other day. I finished up in the bathroom, managing to get dressed without having to call for help, and wheeled myself into the hall. I almost ran straight into Bella. She stopped with less than an inch between her toes and the wheels of my chair.

"Oh! Sorry, Bella. I wasn't paying attention," I said, blushing slightly.

_The first day she was spending with us is the day I almost run her over…_I thought to myself, but she just waved it away. I continued down the hall and Bella moved to my side.

_I was just coming back to get you. Your door was shut, so I was waiting to hear it open. I…kind of made you breakfast,_ she signed. I looked up as we came into the kitchen to see her smiling sheepishly, like she wasn't sure she should have.

"Thanks, Bella," I said. "I probably would've just grabbed a granola bar or something." I smiled up at her and she looked away, a small smile on her face.

I wheeled over to the counter to pick up the plate that was up there, but Bella shooed me towards the table. I went over and stopped at my spot, shaking my head. She came behind me and set the plate down, her arm brushing my shoulder and leaving a slight chill on my skin. I tried to hold back a shiver, but she noticed, smiling apologetically as she sat down next to me. She handed me a fork and I started eating the waffles she had obviously just put in the toaster oven. She sat there looking out the window as I ate.

"Bella?" She turned to me, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Can I ask you something? I mean…you don't have to answer. I'm just curious." I saw her hesitate, but she nodded.

"I…Why didn't I wake up cold since I slept next to you? Just now I felt chilly, but why wasn't I freezing by the time I woke up this morning?" I asked in a rush.

She looked down at the table and played with her fingernail. After a few seconds I focused on my food, thinking she wasn't going to answer. I felt her brush my arm and turned back to her, my mouth stuffed with food. She still looked undecided, but started signing.

_I…I'm not like other vampires. I still have to drink blood and the sun reflects off of my skin, but there are certain things, like my temperature, that are different. I…I'm not ready to talk about my power yet, but it has to do with that. Is that okay?_ She asked, her eyes pleading with me to understand. I nodded and a small smile crept onto her face.

_Thank you. I promise that I will tell you, along with the others, but just not yet. I'm…I'm not ready to remember_, she said, her gaze moving back to her hands. I smiled and took her hand in mine, forgetting the food on the table.

"I know exactly how you feel. We both have something to share, but it'll have to wait until both of us are ready." I glanced at the clock on the wall. "For now, though, we have school to go to."

She smiled at me before standing and taking my plate to the kitchen. I went to the door and grabbed my coat, slipping it on as I waited for her. She came out with her keys in hand and we went out to her truck. She helped me up and folded my chair, putting it on the backseat before getting in and starting it. I looked around and noticed everyone else was already gone, probably hearing that we were talking and deciding to leave without us.

I sat back and sighed as Bella drove towards the school, a soft beeping coming on twice. It was on her side the first time, then mine as we pulled into the parking lot. She pulled into a spot right next to Emmett's Jeep, turning slowly but not getting anywhere close to hitting it. Before I could blink the truck was off and she was opening my door. I unbuckled my seatbelt as she unfolded my chair, and I lowered myself down to the floor of the truck. She helped me the rest of the way before I backed up so she could shut the door and lock it.

I turned around and sat there, pulling my gloves out of the little side pocket in my chair while she got our stuff. I put my gloves on as she put my bag on the back of my chair, leaving one hand on a handle so she could tell where I was going. We made our way towards the school in silence, me scanning the crowded sidewalks for the one person I did not feel like dealing with today. I spotted Emmett's massiveness and headed in that direction, Bella quickly noticing the slight change in direction.

Alice turned and spotted us, waving like a little girl. Everyone else turned as well, and Emmett joined her frantic waving. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

He'd been trying really hard since I came to live with them to make me happy. He usually succeeded, but then something would happen and he'd start all over again. Alice tried, but she didn't have as much patience as Emmett seemed to have. Jasper left me alone unless he had something to say or wanted me to know he was helping with my emotions. I could tell it bothered him to mess with me, but he did it when he could tell I needed it. Rose was just there. She would talk to me sometimes, but not often. Carlisle and Esme left me alone to "deal with my grief." So, besides Emmett and Alice, I was pretty much the lone human in a house of vampires.

"Hey, guys! Sorry we didn't wait for you, but you seemed to be busy," Emmett said, wiggling his eyebrows. Alice gasped and looked at me, waiting to hear what she missed.

"We were just talking, Emmett," I said. He laughed.

"I know, but I like seeing Alice's potential gossip reaction. Her seeing the future kind of makes it scarce." Alice punched him in the arm and walked away, Jasper waving behind him as he followed.

"She might be small, but she _really_ hurts," Emmett whined, rubbing his arm. He huffed. "And isn't that man whipped!" he exclaimed, probably hoping Jasper would hear him. He got the bird over Jasper's head, so I guess he did.

"He's not whipped, he's just dedicated," Rose said. Emmett kissed her.

"Why are we being all positive all of a sudden, Rosie?" he said. She punched him in the same arm as Alice, but wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm just speaking the truth." Emmett grimaced as he rubbed his arm again. I laughed.

"Well, I have to stop at my locker before class starts, so I'll see you later," I said.

They waved before heading in the direction of a secluded corner. I stopped that train of thought before it went too far and made my way through the front doors, Bella moving in front of me to hold them. I stopped in front of my locker just in time for a certain football hero slash idiot to bump my chair, slamming my legs into the lockers. I held in a gasp of pain as Lucas stood behind me and laughed.

"Whoops. Did I bump into you, Cullen? I guess you should watch where you park that thing," he said, his friends breaking out in laughter.

But I wasn't concerned about them. My attention was more focused on the pain that I shouldn't have been able to feel. I ground my teeth together, willing it to go away. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the same places over and over again. These places just so happened to be my scars from the accident. I scrunched my eyes closed and breathed through my nose, trying to calm myself.

Maybe it was just that phantom pain Carlisle told me about. He said I could feel pain, but nothing would really be happening to me. Kind of like veterans who lost a body part but still feel pain in it. It was just their mind making them feel it, even though there was nothing to give the pain.

The problem was that it was just getting worse. My legs started to burn and my breathing was turning ragged. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't get myself to open my eyes and see who it was. My back started bending, bringing me into a hunched over position.

Hands cupped my face, turning it gently towards the person attached to them, and I could tell it was Bella. She was the only one who would touch me when I was like this. Everyone else would just walk away like they didn't see anything, or start making excuses. Teachers would just stand there waiting for someone to think of something. It had to be her. I heard someone talking, but I couldn't focus on what they were saying. All I could feel was Bella's chilly hands on my face and my burning legs. I needed to tell her what was going on, but my sentences were choppy with my pain.

"My-my legs…they feel…like they…are burning. Be- Bella…it hurts…it really…hurts," I gasped.

I still hadn't opened my eyes, so I couldn't see if she was trying to tell me something. The burning just kept getting worse, and I could feel myself losing consciousness. I felt myself separating from the pain, but I could still tell that it was there. Bella's hands were still on my face, and I felt the cool brush of her thumbs over my eyes. She was trying to get me to open them, but I couldn't get my body to listen to me.

Suddenly, there were more hands on me, and someone asking what was wrong. The booming voice filled my mind, but Emmett didn't stop. He just kept asking me, shaking my shoulders as I stayed curled up in my little ball of pain.

One of Bella's hands left my face, and I grabbed at where it had been. My heart beat even more frantically and my hand flailed around, trying to find hers. I ended up just grabbing the hand that was still on my face and holding it there, the coolness feeling good against me. Emmett's hands left my shoulder's, and Bella's other hand went back to my face. I clutched at them like they were my lifeline.

"We've got to get him out of here," someone said.

Bella tried to take her hands away, but I wouldn't let them go. My face was burning up and her hands were my only relief at that moment. She ran her thumbs over my cheeks and tried again. I still didn't let go.

"Edward," Alice's voice said in my ear," you have to let go of Bella so we can get you home. She's not going anywhere." A hand fell gently on my shoulder, confirming what she said. Bella slowly moved her hand away and I let go, immediately missing the coolness against my flaming face.

Her arm wrapped around my shoulders and pushed me upright. The other went behind my knees, and she lifted me, cradling my pained form to her. I heard the clinking of my chair folding and a slight jostling as Bella ran me out of the building and to her truck. She laid me down on the back seat and put my head in her lap, replacing her hands to their previous position. I almost sighed with relief. I heard the sounds of doors closing and someone climbing into the driver's seat.

"Bella, where are your keys?" Rosalie's voice asked.

One of her hands left me again, but quickly returned after a slight jingling sound. The truck started up and Rose immediately backed it out of the spot. My head started feeling light and I squeezed one of Bella's hands. She made a shushing sound and rubbed her thumbs across my cheeks. My vision slowly blackened as the truck sped down the road. I could still feel Bella, but I couldn't see anymore. And my whole body was on fire, but I couldn't make a sound. My breathing had quickened, and I felt the truck make a sharp turn, almost sending me to the floor. Bella grabbed me in time, holding my hip until the truck's balance was centered again.

After a short time, Rose slammed on the brakes and the door was open before I even realized we were home. Bella scooped me up again and jumped out of the truck, not bothering to get the door. She ran up and through the door, a voice following her down the hall.

By this time it felt like my body weighed nothing, that there was nothing left of me but my slowly fading mind. I couldn't feel my body, I couldn't see, my mind was slowing so that I couldn't even make out what people were saying around me. All I knew was that Bella was holding me and bringing me somewhere.

Bella suddenly stopped and I heard a clicking, but it sounded so far away. She started walking again and I felt myself being lowered down. I couldn't feel what it was, but the sensation of falling told me I wasn't in her arms anymore. The coolness of her arms left me, and I made a small sound of protest. It felt like I was thrown into an inferno as soon as she let go of me. I felt someone raise my head and the coolness of Bella's body overwhelmed me just as I heard Carlisle's distinct voice.

**BPOV**

I had no idea what was going on. Today had started out so well, then collapsed quicker than I could have imagined. I barely saw what happened in the hallway, thanks to the overwhelming amount of people, but I did know that Edward was no longer okay. One minute he was saying he needed to get some things out of his locker, and the next his form is doubled over in pain. I heard that kid from yesterday talking to Edward, but I hadn't been paying any attention.

Now Edward was lying on his bed with no idea what was going on around him. Jasper told us he was still in pain, but he couldn't tell why he was so relaxed. When I picked him up to bring him in the house, his body had just flopped, like he had no control whatsoever.

It was scaring the crap out of me.

The only things he had done were protest when I took my hands away from his face and squeeze my hand. Otherwise he hadn't really moved.

I had picked up his head and laid it on my chest so that I could try to cool down his burning body more. I was half under him and I had his face in my hands, but he was still burning up. I didn't know what else to do when Carlisle walked in.

"What's going on?" he said, his tone referring to Edward and not why all of us were at home instead of school. I laid my head on top of Edward's and closed my eyes tight, letting the others explain. His rasping breaths would have muffled the conversation if it hadn't been for my enhanced hearing.

"Something happened in the hallway," Alice's voice said from somewhere near the foot of the bed. "I saw Edward in pain, but we couldn't get there fast enough without revealing ourselves."

"Yeah," Emmett chimed in. "I heard that one kid from the football team talking to a teacher saying he didn't do anything. They didn't mention what he might have done, but I doubt that he's innocent. Everyone in the school knows about his and Edward's argument during first period yesterday." Emmet's voice got so low it sounded like he was suppressing a growl.

"Is that all we know?" Carlisle asked, slipping into doctor mode. There was a pause before Jasper spoke up.

"Well…Bella was with him when it happened," he said. I buried my face in his hair as I felt all eyes turn to me.

"Bella," Esme's voice said softly, "we need to know what happened so Carlisle can help him."

I knew this, but I didn't know how I was going to tell them anything. I only heard that kid talking and the sound of something hitting the lockers. Then Edward was in pain.

I turned my head to look at them, seeing six figures standing before me. I thought I saw them look at each other, but I couldn't tell for sure. Esme walked over and kneeled down next to the bed, resting her arms on the side nearest me.

"Could you write down everything you saw or heard for us? We don't have much to go on right now to find out what's happening to him," she reasoned.

I reached over and took her hand, ignoring Edward's whimper for just a second, before placing her hand on his burning forehead. She gasped and I let go, replacing my hand on the side of his face.

"Carlisle, he's burning up," she whispered frantically. I buried my face back into his hair as they ran in and out of the room. I didn't look to see what was going on, but focused on my friend burning up in my arms.

He was still having trouble breathing, his chest heaving with the effort of each one. His body was hot against mine, my lower body temp only seeming to keep him slightly comfortable. His body was splayed across the bed from when I put him down. His arms were slightly apart from his body and his legs were bent so his knees were pointing towards the side of the bed, or as far as I could tell, they were.

The only thing I wanted was to be able to see his face.

I felt Esme's hand on my arm and nodded turning my head again. I closed my eyes and nodded. I heard her move away before there as a soft hissing near Edward's head. I immediately tensed and looked up.

"It's okay, Bella. It's just an oxygen mask. Hopefully, it will help him breathe a little better," Carlisle said. I let myself relax a little, but was still on edge. I heard someone approach and turned to them.

"I have a notebook and a pen for you to write down what you heard or saw. Do you want to do it now?" Edward's soft whimper of pain answered for me. I nodded and she put the pen in my hand and guided me towards the white blank in my line of sight.

"I'm going to hold it and you write, okay?" She asked quietly. I nodded and began to write out everything I could remember, ending with the fact that Edward was the only one who knew more and asking if hitting his legs could have triggered something in his mind. I handed the pen to Esme, who took it and read off everything I had written. I just closed my eyes and laid my head back down on Edward's.

"She might be on to something," Carlisle whispered. "If what she says is what's going on then there's nothing I can do for him. His mind is creating all of his body's reactions from that incident and there's nothing I can really do to stop it. It's just a waiting game," he finished solemnly.

I squeezed my eyes shut and hugged him closer to me, a small hiccup escaping from my mouth. That was the last thing I had wanted to hear. A hand was placed gently on my shoulder, but I didn't open my eyes.

"Bella, you're going to stay with him?" Carlisle's voice asked me. I nodded once. "Okay, will you promise me that if anything changes with Edward that you will come get one of us? Alice is going to keep an eye on him through her visions, but I want you to let us know as soon as anything happens if we are not already in here." I nodded again.

I heard all of them walk slowly out of the room, but just buried my face in Edward's hair. He groaned in pain again and I brushed my thumb over his cheeks. He started gasping and I moved so I could look at him, even though his face was more of a blur to me than anything. It sounded like he was trying to say something, but couldn't get enough energy to get it out.

"Be…Bell…Bella," he whispered, his voice just audible even with my hearing. I moved my thumb over his face again, letting him know I heard him.

"Please…don't…don't leave…me." His voice broke my heart, and I moved us so my body hugged his, his back to me and my arms around him. My one arm wrapped around his waist while the other wrapped gently around his neck, making sure to touch the sensitive spot there. I moved his legs with my own and sandwiched them between mine. I made sure the mask was still near his face and pointing at him before I laid my head on his shoulder.

I wasn't going anywhere.

**A/N: So? Was it worth it? I'd really like to know…Anyway, Thanksgiving is coming up, as you all know, and more of my precious little time might be taken up preparing to go to my grandmother's or wherever it is we go for this holiday…I can't remember…**

**I'm aiming to update Saturday or Sunday, but I can guarantee nothing. I have a Sweet 16 to go to tomorrow, so that will take up a few hours, but I should be able to get at least a start on the next. And the title of the chapter is from Pink's song Heartbreaker. But since the title didn't fit, I just put the section of lyrics that did.**

**ATTENTION ALL READERS OF INFECTIOUS: The one reason I have not updated that story is the number of people who wanted that sequel compared to the number of reviews I have been getting. The last chapter got **_**2**_** reviews, one of them being my little sister. Quite frankly, if no one wants it anymore, I'll just change it into its own story and forget about writing a sequel for Fate Brought Us Together. I know a lot of people don't read sequels, but I even asked if anyone would read it and a bunch of you said yes. I'll make a decision eventually and keep you posted through this story, but I'm not putting anything else up for that one.**

**Okay, now it's time to review for this one. Let me know what you thought! I love hearing from all of you, and, after the day I've had, I need something to make me happy… :(**

**Please review!**


	8. Miracle

**A/N: So, once again, I missed a weekend in my updating…I cannot apologize enough, but hopefully this extra long chapter will make up for it. I hope.**

**Enjoy!**

_Miracle_

**EPOV**

I woke up early the next morning aches and pains littering my entire body, but nothing nearly as bad as what it had been the day before. I remembered my vision blacking out and Bella carrying me to what I could only guess was my room, but there was nothing after that. Mumbles that could have been conversations, but that was all.

I tried to roll over, but something wrapped itself around me. I moved my arms to find myself tightly tucked into the blankets on my bed. I opened my eyes to my blankets pulled up all the way to my chin, and I was starting to get a little warmer than I would have liked. I lifted my head and looked around the room, trying to see if Bella was still here when I felt something loosen around me. I turned as far as I could to see her lying on the covers next to me with her arm draped over my stomach and smiling brightly. I smiled back and disentangled myself from the blankets, moving so I could lean against the headboard. She moved so her arms were loosely wrapped around me again.

"Morning," I said, my voice rough with sleep. She laughed silently.

_Good morning_, she replied. _How are we feeling today?_ She was smiling, but I could see the worry she was trying to hide. I shook my head at her.

"I feel fine, Bella. I'm okay," I said, she looked at me, unconvinced, but didn't push me to say more.

And it was the truth. I really did feel fine. Both the burning and the pain were gone, and my vision was just as it had been before. She sighed and laid her head down on me. I ran my hand over her hair before I felt a small wet spot on my shirt. I looked down at her to see her eyes closed and a small trail of what could have been tears sliding down her face. I cupped her face in my hand and slowly wiped it away, my mind hitting pause as I tried to process what I was seeing. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at me, waiting for me to ask the question she could see in my eyes.

But I didn't. I leaned back and continued running my hand over her hair, and I heard her sigh. I closed my eyes and mentally inspected my body, looking for anything that felt different than it had before. I couldn't feel anything other than the dull ache in my back and legs. I opened my eyes and looked at my clock on the nightstand. The red numbers announced that it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. I took it that Esme and Carlisle were letting me stay home for the day, and Bella was my caretaker. There was a gentle tug on my shirt and I looked down at Bella.

_You…you really scared me, you know_, she signed to me, her eyes filling with tears. I watched as she swiped at them before continuing.

_I didn't know what to think when Carlisle said there was nothing he could do. All I thought was how I could help you. You were burning up and you were having trouble breathing. They put this mask near your face and I laid next to you until your fever finally broke. You started shivering, so I had to wrap you up, but I didn't leave. I couldn't leave._ Her tears were falling freely at this point, and she made no move to wipe them away.

_I felt so helpless, Edward. I…I would look at you and see a blur, just like usual, but it seemed so different. It was like you had no life left in you. Like I was seeing that you were going to die. And I was scared out of my mind. I knew it was just my head, that it was playing tricks on me, but I couldn't make myself not believe what I was thinking. Just the fact that I knew you could die, even if it wasn't then, was enough to throw my head into overdrive and make me think you were dying in my arms._

She stopped signing and curled into a ball around me, crying her eyes out. I still didn't understand how she could do it, but I didn't ask. She effectively soaked through my shirt by the time she stopped, and I wiped the trail her tears left on her face away with my thumbs.

"I'm not going anywhere, Bella. I don't plan to for a long time," I said once she looked up at me. She smiled and shook her head.

_You can't promise that, Edward. My parents tried to say the same thing._ She rested her chin on my stomach and stared off into space, back to a time I had no business asking about. I looked over at my clock again and sighed. It was only ten after three. I hadn't slept all that long for what happened. I thought back to that morning and felt my jaw clench.

Lucas was getting out of control now. He must not have liked me yelling at him that first day, and there was no doubt in my mind that he would let it go. Today would be the first of many more torments from him. I never really said anything before. I came in during the school year when I started living with the Cullens and I always kept my mouth shut. Teachers had to call on me to get me to answer, otherwise I passed through each class without saying a single word. Everyone seemed to know my story before I got there, and no one wanted to be the weird one and talk to the cripple. The only people who ever talked to me were the Cullen kids, and that was because they genuinely tried to cheer me up. To say I had been in a state of depression would have been an understatement. It was more like an abyss that just kept getting deeper the further into it I fell.

Bella changed that as soon as I looked at her. Maybe it was just because we were both…_different_, but I couldn't tell for sure. It was even before I realized she couldn't see or talk. I knew I had felt that it was my duty to make sure she didn't go through what I did when I first got to Forks High, and I had tried my best to do that. It was completely against my normal character to defend someone else, especially someone I had just met, or even myself most of the time, but I seemed compelled to do things I wouldn't normally around Bella.

Like now.

A girl was lying on my bed with me and I was perfectly okay with it. It wasn't uncomfortable, nor was she acting like Tanya usually did. She was just lying next to me with her arms around my waist and I was comforting her. That was it. She was the only girl besides Alice and Rose that I could have something that resembled a normal conversation with.

Not that she was normal. It really figured that the only girl I was actually friends with turns out to be an immortal vampire who is both blind and mute. Add to that the fact that I am the one she has the most trouble seeing and it seems like we shouldn't have become friends at all. Our relationship was a miracle in itself.

That train of thought brought me to an image of my future. A very depressing one. I was sitting in a wheelchair, just like I was today, and my body was hunched over. Bella walked in to the room, looking just like she did at this exact moment, and the vision moved so I could see my face. My old, wrinkled, dying face.

My eyes shot open and I sat up a little, gasping for breath. Bella's hands came up to my face, her eyes searching for mine. I covered her hands with mine and felt a tear slip down my cheeks as I looked at her.

"Bella, I don't want to get old," I sputtered. She looked at me, confusion covering her perfect face.

"All of you are going to stay the same way you are now, and I just going to get older and older until I die. I don't want to die, Bella. I don't want to," I repeated. She put a finger over my mouth as I continued to cry and shake my head.

The vision had brought back a memory, a memory I had locked away. It was a vision I had had during one of my fits in the hospital. One that had haunted me for a long time after I got home. I blocked the image, but the words still echoed through my head.

I felt myself start shaking and Bella's arms wrapped around me. I buried my face in her neck as I continued to tremble. She rocked me back and forth, letting me take the time I needed to get myself back together. I wrestled the memory to the back of my mind, mentally shutting it away again. I slowly calmed down and leaned into Bella as she reclined against my headboard. She ran her fingers through my hair and rested her head on top of mine. I started leaning back after I had calmed, and she moved her head to let me up. I rubbed at my eyes and blinked a few times.

_You know, you can't keep pushing everything away. It only makes it worse when it comes back later,_ Bella signed to me. I chuckled.

"I'm not exactly the most outspoken person, Bella. I tend to keep things to myself rather than telling my problems to the world," I answered, trying to sound as light-hearted as I could. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

_Anyway, you've been out for quite a while. You hungry?_ She asked. I thought about it, but my stomach answered before I could. Bella smiled and I laughed.

_I think I got my answer._

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." She got up and left my room, shaking her head and laughing silently. I looked down at my hands in my lap and smiled.

I was blown away at how willing she was to deal with me and my emotional baggage. From what I could tell, she had plenty of her own to handle, and yet she was pretty much telling me I could tell her what was bothering me, putting some of the weight on her shoulders. The girl I had just met the day before was willing to help me with something I had been dealing alone since the day I woke up in the hospital.

Bella walked in then, interrupting my train of thought. She was smiling and carrying a small plate with a sandwich on it. I sat up more and she handed it to me, crawling up next to me once I had taken it. She reclined against the headboard and closed her eyes, evening out her light breaths. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as I ate, but she stayed like that the whole time. Then I thought of something.

"Bella?" She opened her eyes and looked at me. "You said I've been out for a while. How long has it been?"

_About two days. Today's Thursday, and that happened on Tuesday,_ she signed slowly.

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. This whole time I had been thinking I had been out for only a few hours, just to find out it had been a couple of _days_. It couldn't be right. She had to have made a mistake.

"Are…Are you…sure? It couldn't…_couldn't_ have been that long," I persisted. She smiled sadly at me, her eyes searching for mine, and shook her head. I put my face in my hands and rubbed my eyes.

"And you stayed with me this whole time?" I asked, pausing to see her answer. She smiled sheepishly and nodded, her gaze travelling to her lap. I sighed and shook my head.

"Why?" I asked indignantly. "You didn't have any kind of reason to do that, so why did you?" I said more softly. She just shrugged.

_I guess it was because of what you did for me Monday. You stood up for me against the teacher and that kid, who went and hurt you._ She paused, and then continued hesitantly, like she wasn't sure if she should say what she was.

_I…may have felt a little guilty, too. You stood up to that kid for me and got hurt, so I thought I should be the one to stay with you and make sure you were okay when you woke up. Everyone's been stopping in a couple of times throughout the day to see if you were awake or if I wanted to get out for a little while, but I said no._

"Bella, you have no reason to feel guilty about what happened. That was just Lucas being the jerk that he is. I've noticed that he seems to like causing pain, and then denying any part in what happened. I'm not the first person to be his target," I tried to reason. She shook her head.

_It's still no excuse for what he did. And if I hadn't needed you to stick up for me, then you wouldn't have fallen into his radar in the first place,_ she said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I don't want to argue with you, Bella, so we'll just agree to disagree. But only for now. This is not over yet, miss," I said in an authoritative tone. She laughed, and I quickly joined in. Our laughter slowly died away, really just being mine, and she turned so that she was facing me, her head resting on my chest. My arm was around her and she had draped hers over my stomach. I rubbed her back and jumped when she decided to poke my stomach.

"What was that for?" I said. I rubbed the spot even though I knew she didn't hurt me. She shrugged before poking me again. I jumped again and poked her back, causing her to catapult off the bed.

"What's up with you, today?" I said, leaning over the side to see her lying on the floor laughing. She shrugged.

_Things have been a little gloomy around here lately, but now you're awake,_ she said. I offered her my hand and she got up. She sat cross-legged on the bed and I leaned back again. That's when I noticed her eyes.

"Bella, you need to hunt," I said seriously, looking into her dimming golden eyes. She looked towards the window, and then at her hands.

"I'm not going anywhere, Bella. Go hunt. The others will be home any time now," I reasoned.

"Yeah, Bella," Emmett's voice boomed from the doorway. Both Bella and I turned to him and he laughed. "We can take care of Sleeping Beauty for a few hours while you get what you need."

Alice danced into the room and plopped herself on the bed next to Bella. She just sat there and smiled at her in that creepy, you're-not-going-to-say-no-to-her way. Bella must have sensed it because she sighed and shook her head.

_I'll be back in an hour_, she signed before opening my window and jumping out. Alice shut the window just enough for Bella to be able to lift it open again and sat at the end of my bed, staring at me. I shifted uncomfortably and she kept staring.

"What, Alice?" I shifted uncomfortably and she kept staring.

"What? You're really creeping me out," I said. She smiled evilly.

"So?" she asked, dragging out the word. I looked at her confused.

"What happened?" she said, shaking her hands at me like she was waiting for good gossip.

"Um…I woke up?" She frowned and shook her head at me.

"Not that! I can kind of tell, since I'm talking to you." I looked between her and Emmett, looking for some clue as to what she was talking about. Emmett walked in and dragged my armchair next to the bed. He sat down and propped his head against his fist.

"Come on, little bro. Are you trying to say that you woke up today, with Bella lying next to you, and the two of you did nothing until we got here?" he asked.

"I seriously had no idea what she was talking about, and yes, that's exactly what happened. I woke up and she was here. She asked me if I was okay. We talked for a while, and I fell asleep. I woke up and she asked me if I was hungry. I said yes and she made me a sandwich. Then you two came barging in. That's all," I said. Sure, that wasn't really all that happened, but they didn't need to know personal details. Both Alice and Emmett looked like they didn't believe me, but she shrugged.

"Whatever, Eddie. We'll find out about you two eventually," I scowled at her use of my hated nickname, but didn't say anything.

"But you said you're fine? Nothing hurts anymore?" Emmett asked, clearly concerned. I shook my head.

"I feel sore, but nothing really hurts now." Alice smiled and Emmett nodded.

"Carlisle's going to ask you that when he gets home, so be prepared for the full doctor-related-questions assault," he said seriously. All of a sudden, Jasper's head popped around the doorframe, confusion on his face.

"Why was there just a rush of confusion, embarrassment, and indecision? Were you guys asking him about Bella?" he said. I groaned and let my head fall back against the headboard.

"I'll take that as a yes." I heard him walk across the room and the one side of the bed moved down. "Did he admit anything yet?" Jasper asked.

"No," Alice said sadly. "He's saying nothing happened. I think we should ask Bella if anything happened." I jumped up and looked to see her smiling evilly once again.

"What was that for?" I heard Jasper ask. I leaned over so I could see him from behind Alice, and he was frowning at me.

"What?" I asked, confused. "I didn't do anything." He continued to look at me before his eyes slowly grew wide.

"Edward, you kicked me," he said breathlessly. I cocked my head to the side.

"What are you talking about? You know I can't move my legs." He continued to stare, making me slightly worried about him.

"No, Edward. I felt it when you jumped up. You kicked me," he repeated.

"Jasper, this isn't funny," I said, starting to get mad. He shook his head vigorously.

"Edward, I'm not playing around. I really felt you kick me." He looked around, like he was trying to think of something to say. "Try to move your foot," he said suddenly, pointing at my leg.

"Jasper-" I started, but he cut me off.

"Just try it," he persisted. I looked at Alice, pleading with her to reason with him.

"Edward, you know he wouldn't act like this unless he had a reason. He would never ask this of you if he wasn't sure," she said softly.

"So you believe him?" I asked. She nodded.

"I felt something move behind me, but I thought it was him. Just look at your leg. It's not even in the same place it was before," she said, trying to convince me. I turned to Emmett, who shrugged.

"You've got nothing to lose, little bro."

I looked down at my lap, and then let my gaze travel down my legs. It stopped briefly at my calves, where most of my leg injuries had been, before continuing to my feet. I sat there, staring at them like they would move on their own. The bed moved, and Alice sat beside me, taking my hand in both of hers. Jasper threw back the blankets and sat back down. My eyes didn't leave my feet. I sighed before consciously trying to move my foot.

Nothing happened.

"See? It wasn't me," I said, looking at Jasper. He scowled at me.

"I know how much of a half-hearted attempt that was, Edward. Try again, and stop thinking it's not worth it. Don't you want to walk again?" he asked harshly. I flinched.

"Jasper!" Alice said. He gave her a look and her eyes widened.

"It did, didn't it?" she said softly. He nodded. I looked cautiously between the two of them.

"What are you talking about? What did what?" Alice turned to me slowly. Her eyes darted between my face and my foot, but she didn't say anything.

"Alice, what is it?" She blinked a few times, seeming to come out of a different world.

"He…he was right. When you flinched, your foot moved. And then when you jumped before, it moved." I looked at her skeptically.

"I'm serious, Edward! Try moving your foot, but stop thinking about it so much. Do you remember what it felt like before you couldn't walk? How it was effortless?"

I nodded once. Of course I remembered. It was one of the things I'd never forget. Or ever take advantage of again, if I managed to get the ability back.

I thought back to those days, the days that hadn't been spent in a constant state of depression from helplessness and the feeling of being the outcast in a place I was supposed to call home. I thought of how I had been able to play so many sports, how the guys always wanted me to join their sports teams because of how good I was. The coaches would approach me and try to convince me that I "could go far" if I got noticed. I actually joined the soccer and football teams. I was never taken out during games, and I was always on the front line. I had loved the feeling of playing. Running down the field, the audience screaming for their team, making a goal or a touchdown…It didn't matter. I had loved every second of it.

Until the accident happened. Once everyone knew I couldn't play anymore, all of my friends seemed to disappear. Everyone forgot their star player, moving on to the next up-and-coming athlete. I was thrown to the side, going from top jock to lowest outcast, even the other "misunderstood masses" staying away from me. Alice brought me out of my reverie, shaking my shoulder and calling my name.

"Edward. Edward, are you okay? Edward? Look, you did it, Edward," she said pointing down. I blinked a few times, trying to push back the past that had made its way out.

"Look, Edward. You moved both of your legs." My eyes shot to her face. She was smiling gently at me, like she knew this was rough. I looked at Jasper and felt my relapsing depression fade. I looked down at my hands, but Alice grabbed my chin and made me look at her.

"Edward, just look," she said softly, her gaze pleading with me. I sighed and looked down, but not at my legs. "Please?" I looked at her quickly, and sighed. The puppy face was out, and there was no going back now.

I looked down and felt my eyes slowly widen. I couldn't believe it, o matter how much I wanted to. My legs had moved. My knees were bet like I was trying to draw them up to my chest, but they only made it half way. I tried moving them again, and they twitched before moving almost imperceptibly closer.

My breaths hitched in my throat and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Arms wrapped around me and I let my face fall onto them. Alice let her head rest on my shoulder and held me. I felt the other side of the bed sink down slightly and another hand on my back. I turned just enough to see Rose smiling happily at me. A hysterical laugh escaped my throat, and I buried my face in Alice's arm, continuing to try to bring my legs all the way up. I couldn't feel them moving, but I felt when they bumped Alice.

"Ca- can I…can I try…to stand?" I asked through my sobbing, lifting my head to look at Alice. She turned to Jasper and Emmett. Each of them shrugged and she then turned to Rose, who turned to me.

"Edward, you have to remember something before you try this. Just because you can move your legs now doesn't mean your legs will be able to hold your weight. You've been off them a long time. Yes, you can move them now, but it doesn't mean you're going to be up and walking right afterwards," she stated. I nodded, wiping stray tears off my face.

"I know. I…I just…I need to try. I need to know that I can move them even when I'm standing," I responded.

She looked at me for a few seconds before nodding and moving off the bed. Alice got off as well, and Emmett and Jasper moved to either side of me. I moved myself to the edge slowly, taking the time to move my legs instead of picking each of them up and moving them. I let them fall over the edge of the bed and sighed.

"You don't have to do this, Edward," Alice said. I shook my head and set my jaw looking down at my legs.

I scooted forward until my feet touched the ground. I took Emmett's offered hand and let him gently pull me up, using my free hand to push off the bed. My knees gave out at first, but Emmett and Jasper grabbed my elbows and pulled me back up. I could feel both of them staring at me, but I didn't look at them. I locked my knees and started moving my arms out of their grips. They loosened their holds, but didn't let go. I stood up straight and slowly put more and more weight from my arms to my legs, waiting for them to give out.

They didn't.

"Oh, my God," Alice whispered. I looked up to see both her and Rose with their hands over their mouths. I looked from side to side to see Jasper and Emmett at least a foot away from me.

I was standing. I was standing all on my own. No one was helping me. I wasn't in my chair, and I wasn't sitting down.

I heard the window slide open and a soft thump as someone's feet hit the floor. I turned my head to see Bella staring at me, her eyes then wandering around the room. She looked at everyone, who turned around to her in turn, and then looked back at me. She took a few steps forward, her gaze scanning up and down, looking for some explanation.

"Bella…" I said. Her molten gold gaze shot to mine, and I could see the confusion clouding her mind. I remembered her comment about how I look to her and instantly understood her confusion. "It's me, Bella."

She cocked her head to the side slightly, squinting like she was trying to clear the blur that was me into an actual person. She took a couple of steps closer, just out of arm's reach and continued to stare.

_I…I don't…understand. What's going on? _She signed. I smiled sadly. Of course this would be confusing for her. I should have thought of that sooner.

"Bella, I can move my legs again," I said, turning my body towards her, but not so far as to need to take a step. Her eyes widened, looking like golden saucers.

_How?_ She signed slowly. She walked over and stood in front of me. She had to look up since I had about a good three or more inches on her.

"I don't know, Bella. All I know is that I've wished for this to happen since the day I found out I was paralyzed. I told myself every day that I would give anything to walk again, and now I can." She continued to look up at me, seeming to process what I was saying. A slow, sad smile spread across her face.

_I know how you feel, Edward. And I'm very happy for you,_ she said. She looked slightly distracted, holding something through her shirt in her fist.

She let go of whatever it was and wrapped her arms around my waist. I lost my balance for a second, but she kept me from falling. I wrapped my arms around her and she looked up at me, smiling. A single tear slid down her face and I wiped it away, chuckling. Everyone turned in the direction of the front of the house, but it took me a few seconds to realize what had caught their attention.

It was time to tell Carlisle and Esme.

**A/N: And, there it is. A whole 21 pages. Did it make up for not updating, even though it took a while for it to get interesting?**

**The title of this chapter is Miracle by Paramore. Only the title really fits, but hey. It's the only one I could think of that fits this chapter at all.**

**Please review! I really want to know what you have to say, whether it's chewing me out for my lack of updating or your thoughts about the chapter. I really don't care. Thank you in advance! :P**


	9. Viva La Vida

**A/N: Okay, so I guess you could call this a fluff chapter, but there's a lot of important info in it. I would never post a chapter that had absolutely no relevance to the story, even if you don't see it. I'm a tricky one sometimes…**

**The song is Viva La Vida by Coldplay. It is a sarcastic remark, just to let you know. I really didn't have a song for this one… Oh, and it means "live the life" in Spanish, for those of you who don't know.**

**Enjoy!**

_Viva La Vida_

**EPOV**

There was the soft sound of someone walking quickly down the hall, and then Esme's face poked around the door. She took one look at me and moved into the doorway, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, thank God," she whispered. "Carlisle!" she called without turning away. "Carlisle, he's awake." She quickly walked over to me and Bella moved away, clutching at whatever was under her shirt again and her puzzled expression making its way onto her face. Esme wrapped me in a tight hug and dry sobbed into my shirt, repeatedly thanking God. I wrapped my arms around her as much as her hold would let me.

I looked up as Carlisle walked into the room. It took him a second to realize what he was seeing, but he stopped midstride when he did. His mouth slowly fell open and his eyes grew wide.

"What-Edward, what…what's going on?" Carlisle asked, tripping over his own words. I started to explain when I felt my legs start shaking. I put my hands on Esme's shoulders and took a step back, moving one leg at a time without letting go. She saw where I was going and moved with me until the backs of my knees hit the bed. I sat down and pulled my legs towards me. They felt like jelly by this point.

"Okay, that's better," I whispered to myself, rubbing my knees. Bella walked over and sat next to me, but not so close that she was touching me.

_You okay?_ She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. She nodded and her gaze moved towards the window, her fist still around the thing in her shirt. She had been acting weird since she got back and I told myself I'd ask her about it later.

Jasper caught Carlisle, Esme, and Bella up on what had happened while I rubbed the sorer spots on my legs. Carlisle would ask a question every now and then, but he didn't direct any of them to me until after Jasper was done. Esme kept glancing at me the whole time, a worried and astounded look on her face, but she kept quiet. Bella just sat next to me staring at the floor, listening.

"So, Edward, you have no idea what could have caused this to happen?" Carlisle asked me. I shook my head.

"When I woke up, I couldn't move them at all. That first time I kicked Jasper was the first time I've moved them," I explained.

"Alright, I'd like to x-ray your back again, just to see if anything happened after the incident at school. It could be that the impact, even though it sounds like it was slight, may have moved your vertebrae just enough for weaker messages to pass through to your legs. You haven't tried walking yet, right?" I shook my head.

"Chances are you won't be able to without holding on to something or someone else. But, if you want, we can start a little bit of therapy to see if we can get your legs a little stronger. How long were you standing just now?" I shrugged.

"It was a little less than ten minutes, Carlisle," Emmett put in. Carlisle nodded.

"I wouldn't even have expected that much. You want to head up to my office now, or do you want to wait a little while?" he asked. I thought about it before answering.

"We might as well just do it now," I said, shrugging. He nodded and moved towards me.

I draped my arm over his shoulder and he wrapped his around my waist. He helped me stand and walked me to the stairs. He proceeded to pick me up and carry me up the stairs and into his office. He set me down in one of the chairs in front of his desk and went into his "medical room" to set up the mini x-ray machine.

He set up that room with everything he would ever need to take care of me so I wouldn't have to be brought all the way to the hospital. He liked being able to take care of me right at home instead of admitting he needed the help of the hospital.

He came back out and helped me up, letting me walk the short distance to the room. I sat down on the small stool inside the machine, which was shaped like a square tube with one of the sides being the entrance. The stool had a magnetic pad on it so the screws wouldn't mess with the x-rays. I wiggled my pants off so the metal buttons wouldn't interfere, and sat there waiting for Carlisle to hit the button.

I heard a small beep come from each side of me, moving clockwise from my left side around to my back, before Carlisle told me we were done. I managed to get my pants back on and push the machine door open while Carlisle was developing the pictures. The machine was set up against the wall, so I was able to use it to get over to him. I watched as he put all four pictures up on the light boards and turned them on. I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was looking at, but Carlisle looked at them like he was reading a children's book. He rubbed his chin with one hand and wrapped his other arm around himself with the other.

"Hmm...Well, something definitely happened, but I can't even begin to think what would have caused it. That bump into the lockers couldn't have caused this," he said, sounding like he was talking to himself. He pointed to one of the bright white spots in the picture of my left side.

"This is the vertebrae that moved during the accident. If you look really close, you can see that it is still somewhat out of alignment, but not even close to how badly it was in your first x-rays at the hospital. It's almost completely back in place, which is why you are able to move as much as you can, but not so much to let you move like you should be able to. What shocks me the most is how long you were able to stand after being wheelchair-bound for so long. I know you lost a lot of muscle mass in your legs, and that should make it extremely difficult for you to stand straight up." He paused for a second, is gaze seeing something farther away than the x-rays in front of us. I leaned against the wall and looked at him, waiting to see what he was thinking about. He suddenly shook his head and took down the pictures, turning off the boards in the process.

"It couldn't be…" he mumbled. "None of us should be able to do something like that. It would be completely against our very nature," he continued. I raised an eyebrow, not following his train of thought in the slightest.

"Carlisle? What are you talking about? What shouldn't you be able to do?" I asked when he turned to look at me. He shook his head again.

"I don't know what to think, Edward. Let's go back down to the family and let them know what we found," he said, not answering my question. I didn't ask again, assuming he would bring it up when we got back to my room.

We made our way downstairs slowly, since he was letting me walk most of the way. He brought me down the stairs, but let me walk into my room. I held onto him the whole time and went straight to my bed when we entered my room. Bella had been sitting on the side and moved as I walked over. Carlisle helped me sit myself up against the headboard and Bella climbed up next to me, but still didn't touch me. I looked at her to see that stubborn confusion, but she didn't look at me. I turned my attention to Carlisle when he began talking.

"So, as I thought, the vertebrae in Edward's spine that was pinching his spinal cord moved, and it moved a lot. It's still not perfectly aligned, but it's enough for the extent of lower limb function that we have seen today. This is also too much movement for the bump into the lockers the other day to have done. I just can't think of what else it could have been," he reiterated. Everyone seemed to go into their own little world, thinking about what could have happened.

A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me and my eyes got heavy. Someone started talking, but I couldn't get myself to listen to them. I felt my chin hit my chest as sleep began to take me. Someone moved me around until my head was resting on something and I was on my side with their arm around me. Their hand caressed the side of my face, making it harder to stay awake. They moved their fingers through my hair and I opened my eyes as much as I could to see that it was Bella. I felt a small smile creep its way onto my face before I fell into a deep sleep.

**BPOV**

I couldn't help it anymore. I knew it had to have been me that caused him to change like he did, but I couldn't admit it to them, not unless they outright asked me. But I couldn't keep myself away from him either. I had tried since I got back from my hunting trip, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I saw his head fall down to his chest and knew he was fighting sleep. Everyone else must have noticed it, as well.

"Look at him! We're trying to figure out what's going on with him and he decides to fall asleep!" Emmett said. I heard someone sigh, but Edward didn't move.

"Just let him sleep, Emmett. He's been through a lot these past few days," Carlisle said. I turned him towards me and shifted him down onto the bed. I wrapped my arm around him and laid his head on my chest. I alternated between caressing his face and running my fingers through his hair, and he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"So what could it have been, Carlisle? Do you think we need to worry about it reversing?" Esme asked, her voice rising in her worry. Carlisle shook his head and I closed my eyes, reveling in the feeling of Edward sleeping next to me and knowing I wouldn't have to keep checking that he was alive this time.

"I don't see this reversing itself any time soon. It's too much of a change for it to suddenly start moving back to where it was. But then again, it's also a big change to happen so suddenly, so it's hard to say for sure." Esme didn't sound exactly thrilled with his answer.

"Let's wait until he wakes up and then I can see what other tests I can do. I have a feeling none of them will tell me what's happening, but it's the only thing I can really do," Carlisle said. They must have agreed, because everyone left the room and shut the door.

I laid there with Edward for a long time. I didn't even know how long, but the sunlight slowly faded from the room, and I drifted off as well.

**CPOV**

All of us filed out of Edward's room, leaving Bella in there with him. By now I knew we could trust her to be alone with him, so I wasn't worried about leaving them. I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. Esme walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She looked up into my face, worried.

"You have an idea, don't you? You just didn't want to agitate Bella with him in there," she said, practically reading my mind. I sighed and nodded.

Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and Alice gathered around the island in the middle of the kitchen, the girls sitting on it with their other standing next to them. I had to smile, seeing the people I cared about most having someone to care about themselves. And now I had a strong feeling that Edward would as well, even if she was a vampire. A very strange vampire, but a vampire.

"So let's recap this week. What happened that is new or different?" I asked, and Emmett spoke up first.

"School," he said grudgingly. I smiled tightly.

"How about things that could have affected Edward and not just your day to day routine," I said, pointedly looking at Emmett. He crossed his arms over his chest and Rosalie put an arm over his broad shoulders.

"Oh! What about how much he's got to move around the school now? It's a lot more than he had to last year," Alice said.

And she was right. Edward had started attending Forks High half way through the year, and all of his classes had been scheduled so that he didn't have to travel all over the school throughout the day. That was mainly to help him deal with being the new kid, besides the fact that he was in a wheelchair. This year he had more electives, so it was somewhat difficult to do that. Edward hadn't cared while we were talking to his counselor, so she just kept it the way they had been able to get it.

"That is true, but I don't think that would do it. He was still only using his arms to get around in the chair, so it shouldn't have affected his legs at all. What else?"

"Lucas is new," Jasper said, letting a mild hatred roll off of himself. "He started school here at the beginning of last year, only a few months before Edward did. He seemed to have a morbid interest in Edward as soon as Edward started school. He still does." I thought about it, but couldn't see much of a link, besides the child's cruelty.

"Would you explain a little more, Jasper? I don't know if you are on to something, but I am curious as to the mindset of this child." He nodded.

"When Edward started school after midterms, Lucas couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of him, like he was waiting for Edward to do something. Curiosity rolled off the kid, but so did pride, like he was happy with something he did. He always seemed to have cruel intentions towards Edward, but he never acted on any of them until Bella came. Edward sticking up for her seems to have given him a reason to go after him," he explained. I nodded.

"So, you think he knew Edward before either of them started school," I said, and he nodded.

"Lucas started at Forks right after the accident. He seemed overly proud then, as well." I nodded again.

"Well, I guess the kid could have something to do with it, but let's keep going. What else?"

"Bella," Rose said. I smiled sadly.

"Yes, that was my train of thought, as well. She seems to be the biggest of the changes in your brother," I said. They glanced at one another, and then back at me. "You have already talked about her, haven't you?" All of them nodded at once. I waved a hand at them, prompting them to explain.

"Well, at first we were just talking about the difference in Edward's attitude since she came along. I mean, sure it's only been a few days, but I've never seen him click with someone as fast as he has with her," Alice said.

"Yeah, and then how when we first walked up to her truck, he wasn't as shy and gloomy as he usually is. He pointed out that she was blind, and then translated for us when she tried to explain. He wasn't the same Edward he's been for the past few months," Emmett added in.

"And she's been spending just about all of her time with him since she came here. She's the only one who could have had this big of an impact on him in such a short amount of time," Rosalie continued.

"She has very strong protective feelings for him. Any time we went in his room over the past few days, she looked like she was ready to attack us if we made a move to hurt him. She also…" Jasper trailed off, looking like he either wasn't sure if he should finish, or wasn't sure about the information he was going to spill. I nodded once to him, and he continued.

"I went in once, right before we decided to go hunting. She was lying next to him on top of the blankets, and had tucked him tightly into them. She was lying on her back with her eyes closed, and she didn't move when I opened the door. She didn't look like she was breathing either, but I saw her take a small breath. It was her only one for about the next five minutes. I walked closer to see if everything was okay, and I saw wet lines on her face going down her cheeks. I looked at Edward, but he was still knocked out. Carlisle, I think she was crying," he finished. I looked at him skeptically.

"So you think she is a vampire that can both cry _and_ sleep? Two things the rest of us had to give up with the change?" I asked, trying to sound open minded. He nodded hesitantly. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, something I started after Edward came around.

"So you think she's the cause for what's happening?" Esme asked me, looking up at me. I nodded.

"Her being a vampire means that she could have powers we don't know about, and won't until she tells us what they are. If she tells us. It could very possibly be that she has the power to heal others, even humans. She might not even know she has this power."

"That's true," Alice agreed. "I didn't understand what my visions were for a while, until I explained them to you and you told me what they were. Maybe she doesn't understand that she can do that. Did you see how she reacted when she saw Edward standing by himself?"

"Yeah, she was disbelieving, slightly worried, and then there was an amazing amount of guilt. I didn't know what it was about, and her eyes don't really tell me anything," Jasper added, laying his arm on the counter around Alice.

"I know. Using someone's eyes usually helps determine something about their intentions. Not only do her eyes cut her off from the world she tries to keep herself a part of, but they cut us off from learning anything about her," I said, frustrated.

"Well," Esme started, speaking up for the first time. "We can make all of the assumptions about this girl that we want, but the only one who truly knows is Bella herself. I don't think we should pressure her into telling us anything that she is not ready for us to know. We don't want to scare her off after everything she's done for Edward."

"I agree. From what I can tell, she has a lot more emotional baggage than Edward does, and it might make her more of a danger if we let her know that we suspect her of having something to do with what's going on with him. She might see it as more of a threat than anything else, and we don't need that with Edward around," Jasper said. I nodded.

"Then it is decided. We will leave the matter alone until either Bella decides to tell us about her powers, or a situation arises where we need to ask her. Otherwise, don't pressure her. She is a good kid, but we've only known her for a few days. We still don't know what she's capable of," I said, finalizing it. I looked to each member of my vampire family and they nodded in turn. I looked down at Esme, but spoke to all of them.

"Life was a lot easier when it was just vampires in this house."

"We are living the life, Carlisle. The life of the constantly confused and never bored," Emmett said before walking upstairs.

**A/N: A lot of information was given in this chapter, but it doesn't mean that all of it was true. This was just the vamp Cullens brainstorming about Edward's situation and Bella overall. We already know Bella has a sleep-like state she goes in that helps her control her powers, but Jasper thought she was actually sleeping. This chapter was just a let's-get-some-ideas-floating-around chapter, okay?**

**I have a poll on my profile concerning my other story, Infectious. I need to know if you would rather have it as just its own story, rather than have it be a sequel. Please let me, know, and I'll be putting up the next chapter of that story with the poll info very soon. It's about half way done.**

**Please review and tell me what you think! I know it was a lot shorter than usual, but I still like hearing what you have to say. And if you have any ideas, please let me know and I'll see if I could fit it in. But before you say anything, YES, the Volturi will be making an appearance. I just don't know when…**


	10. Gives You Hell

_Gives You Hell_

**EPOV**

I woke up slowly the next morning, sunlight streaming through the window and landing right on my face. I rolled onto my back and stretched out, making sure not to hit the person I felt laying next to me, and reveled in the feeling of my legs moving. I opened my eyes slowly, turning my head away from the window, to see Bella sleeping. Her eyes were closed, but I could tell there was something bothering her. Her face was slightly tense and her mouth was in the form of a small frown.

It was the first time I had really looked at her without my gaze being drawn directly to her eyes. Her hair fell around her face in soft brown waves, making her look like a small child that didn't like the dream they were having. She had full, dark lashes that framed her eyes, making them the centerpiece of her face. She had the same pale complexion as the others, but she didn't seem as pasty as them. Their features were much more angled and sharp than hers. Her cheekbones were defined, but smooth. Her softer features made her seem so much more human than the others.

She was beautiful.

I sighed and ran my thumb over her cheek, putting her features to memory. She was unpredictable, and I never knew when she might leave. I wanted to make sure I would never forget her, even though I didn't want her to ever go. I had to face the fact that I had no control over her and that she really had no reason to stay here. None of us could tell her what to do since she wasn't a part of the family, and it seemed to make her look more fragile to me. Like she would disappear as soon as I turned away.

Her eyelids fluttered before opening slowly, and my gaze was met by liquid gold. She smiled softly and stretched, her skin shimmering where it met the sunlight from my window. She relaxed and looked at me, sleep seeming to linger in her eyes.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," I said, poking her in the side. She flinched and laughed silently before poking me back. I rolled onto my side and propped my head up on my hand when someone knocked on the door.

"Edward?" Esme's voice called softly. "Bella?"

"I'm up, Esme," I responded, making sure not to imply anything about Bella. She looked at me gratefully, but turned towards the door as Esme entered.

"You know, Bella," Esme said, sitting down at the foot of the bed, "you don't have to stay in here with him all night. I'm sure it must get a little boring after a while." Bella shrugged.

_I don't mind. Plus, I really don't have anything else to do._ I translated and Esme looked like she wanted to blush, ducking her head to the side in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't realize-" Bella waved her off and shrugged.

_It's alright. I'm sure you haven't meant anyone in my situation before, so it's understandable._ Esme smiled and nodded.

"That is for sure, my dear. But the real reason I came in here was to talk about school. Do you think you want to go today, Edward? Or would you rather wait until Monday?" she asked cocking her head to the side.

"I don't see why I can't. I mean, I haven't been in any more pain, and Bella could always take me home if something comes up?" I turned to her as I said it and she nodded. Esme looked at me thoughtfully.

"You know you would have to go in your chair, right? So no one starts asking questions and investigating anything?" I nodded and looked down at my lap.

"I know. I don't think I'd be able to walk around the school just yet, anyway. I'd probably be trampled since I walk so slowly." Esme looked at me sadly and Bella put her hand on my forearm.

_I could always work with you during your free time. We could try to get you to walk around the house a few times a day to help get your legs strong again, _she signed.

"You would do that?" I asked her, sitting up, not believing that she would want to spend so much time with me. She nodded and I hugged her awkwardly as she lay next to me. "Thank you, Bella." Esme looked at me questioningly, and I told her what Bella said.

"Oh, that's very nice of you, dear. I'm sure the others would be happy to help as well, but right now you've got to get ready for school. And Edward, I'm going to call the school and let them know about you. I want you to keep it low, but I have to let them know at least that you are getting feeling back. We don't want you suddenly walking into school without your chair. They would ask questions," she said, standing up. We nodded and she walked out.

Bella rolled off the bed and walked to my side to help me up. She stood next to me as I lowered my feet to the floor and I took her hand lightly, trying to get up on my own. I started falling back down when Bella grabbed my hand tighter and put her other under my elbow. I managed to stand up without any more of her help and she walked next to me to the dresser. She put her hand on my back while I pulled out the drawer, and caught me as I started going down with the momentum of pulling it. I grabbed some clothes and pushed the drawer shut, using the dresser to keep myself from falling. Bella didn't say anything about it, to my relief. She walked me to the bathroom door before walking away to get herself changed.

I closed the toilet seat and sat down on it, changing into my jeans. I stood up and leaned myself against the sink and stripped off my shirt. It stuck to me in places from when I sweated during my attack. I threw it in the pile of dirty clothes and looked in the mirror, running a hand through my mop of weird colored hair.

I really wasn't much to look at. I had a medium build, but was slightly tall. I was probably around six foot. My hair stuck up all over the place, but it didn't look all that bad. It was the just-got-out-of-bed look that passed for styled sometimes. I had emerald green eyes, dark lashes, and sharp angles in my face. I was still slightly muscular, but not as much as I had been before. I still had my six pack, but it wasn't as defined as it had been. My arms were still slightly large, but not corded. Scars were all over my abs and arms from the accident, marring any semblance of a perfect body. I frowned and put my shirt on, diverting my eyes from the mirror. I opened the medicine cabinet and brushed my teeth.

I was nothing compared to the beauty Bella was. Everything about her was as perfect as it could get. No one could match her, and I knew I wasn't good enough. If she saw me…if she saw what that accident did to me…if she knew exactly how much I had lost, she would turn away. She would leave me just like everyone else. She deserved so much better than me, but insisted on helping me and spending all of her time with me. I couldn't figure it out, but I could feel the guilt right in my gut. She was spending her time with someone less than her, and didn't seem to care. I knew in my mind that it was her choice, but something told me there was a reason behind it. She could have anyone she wanted, and yet here she was. I couldn't decide whether it was because she felt she had to help me, or that she cared too much about my feelings to act on any of her own.

I sighed and rinsed my mouth out, putting my toothbrush back in the cabinet before walking out into my room. Bella was sitting on the edge of the bed and looking out the window, sunlight creating a spark in her eyes and tiny rainbows to dance across her face. I slowly walked over to her and sat down. She laid her head on my shoulder and sighed, taking my hand in both of hers. I don't know how long we sat like that, watching the sun rise up over the trees and Bella playing with my fingers, but Esme eventually called up to us, breaking the silence.

"Come on, you two! You don't want to be late!" I chuckled and Bella stood up, keeping my hand in hers as she did so. I managed to pull myself up without falling that time, and we made our way downstairs, Bella being one step below me so that I could hold onto her shoulders. We walked into the kitchen hand in hand and Esme smiled, handing me a granola bar. I cocked an eyebrow at her, but she just shook her head.

We walked out to her truck, my knee giving out once I stepped off the porch. Bella caught me before I hit the ground and let me stand myself up. I walked more carefully after that, a dull pain thumping in my knee every now and then. Bella opened the passenger door and helped me in before walking over to her side. I rubbed the sides of my knee, but it didn't seem to be all that bad. I wasn't really worried about it, and I'd be in my chair for the rest of the day anyway.

We made it to school with plenty of time to spare, letting me get to my locker without having to push through anyone. We made it to homeroom before most of the class and without seeing Lucas, and Mr. Banner walked over.

"It's nice to see you back, Edward. How are you doing?" he asked, sitting on the side of the desk in front of me. I shrugged.

"As good as I can be, I guess," I said, not hinting that anything had drastically changed, but not completely lying to him. He smiled knowingly.

"How long are you going to keep it a secret?" he whispered, even though the only person in the room was on the opposite side. I tapped the arm of my chair.

"Until I don't need this anymore, I hope." He nodded and went back up to his desk, grabbing some papers. He walked back and handed them to me. "Missed work?" He nodded.

"Could you do them with Bella? You know, read the questions out loud so she knows what topics we're on? I really don't know what else to do for you," he said turning towards her. She smiled and shrugged it off.

_It's fine. I don't really mind._ I translated and he nodded.

"And I guess I could read the test questions to you, when we have one. Can you write?" she nodded. "Okay, that works." He looked a little uncomfortable. "I have to admit, I had no idea how this was going to work when Edward brought your situation to my attention. I didn't think I was going to be able to do anything with you, but you are, thankfully, very flexible. If you ever feel you are being cheated in some way, let me know and the three of us will try to figure something out for you." Bella looked away like she would have been blushing and nodded.

He walked back up to his desk as everyone started coming in, and all eyes immediately shot to our corner. Whispers started as soon as people sat down, some as soon as they walked through the door. I just sat back and watched, being highly entertained by everyone.

And then he came in.

Lucas looked straight back to Bella and I, glaring. An evil smirk spread across his face, sending involuntary shivers down my spine. Bella put her hand over mine on my chair arm. Lucas sat in front of me glancing between the two of us with that smirk still on his face. Bella's hand tensed over mine, and I turned it so I was holding it. She relaxed minutely, but she was staring at him like she knew him from some time long ago. I could almost see her mind filtering through old memories, trying to find his face in one of them.

And that's where I grew confused. The first time she met Lucas was the first day of school, and she couldn't have seen any part of him, let alone his face. I turned slightly towards her, making a show of lifting myself and turning my body with my arms. I looked at her, concerned, and squeezed her hand. She jumped slightly and turned to me, confusion flashing through her eyes, but she shook her head, settling into her chair and looking away from the still grinning Lucas. I turned to him and glared.

"What do you want?" I spat. He gasped and put his hand on his chest like he was offended.

"Why, Edward! What did I do to deserve such a tone of voice?" he asked, sarcasm lacing his words. "Certainly you don't blame me for what happened to you a few days ago, because that would be accusing the innocent!" Bella shot half way out of her chair towards him, her upper lip twitching in her anger. She was glaring at him like she could see every pore on his face.

"Calm down, mamma. You could be ready to attack the wrong person, for all you know," he said, waving off her nonverbal threat. I grabbed Bella's wrist as she went to move around the table towards him, and she paused just short of pulling me out of my chair. Lucas started laughing.

"Looks like you need to keep a tighter leash on your service bitch. I thought they weren't allowed to leave their master's side," he said through his chuckles. I let Bella go, grabbing my textbook and making a move to throw it when Bella stopped me and Mr. Banner came over.

"That's enough, all three of you!" He moved so that he was looking directly at Lucas. "I don't want to hear you speak another word to these two for the rest of the school year. And if you have a problem with that, a little schedule change can easily be arranged, starting with suspension. Now, stand up and switch places with Ms. Weber," he said coolly.

Bella took the book from me and set it on the desk, sitting herself down in the process. I looked at her to see that her eyes had turned completely black, her breathing labored with her anger. She closed her eyes and tried to even it out, a scowl on her face the whole time. I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb and she seemed to calm down. She sighed and looked at me, her eyes back to their usual molten gold color. She smiled thankfully and I squeezed her hand.

The rest of the day was uneventful, unless the evil grins and occasional bumps from Lucas counted. I had lunch while the others talked about the rumors surrounding Bella and I, but I didn't pay much attention to them. At first they had questioned me about what had happened with Lucas first period, but quickly grew tired of the topic. Bella and I really didn't want to talk about it, so they moved on to what they all seemed to have been dying to talk about. I didn't pay any attention. We made it home and routine fell into place, Bella and I going to my room to do homework while the others did whatever they felt like. I fell asleep that night, Lucas's face haunting my dreams…

**A/N: Okay, so I have officially been on winter break since Friday!!! Which means there is now **_**sooo**_** much more time to write…And you know what that means…**

**I already have a whole lot of the next chapter done, since it was originally part of this one. If anything seems a little awkward in **_**this **_**chapter, please feel free to let me know. It was a last minute decision.**

**The song for this chapter fits perfectly, but only if you take out the upbeat tone of the song. It's Gives You Hell by the All-American Rejects.**

**You know what to do now! Give me a reason to update before Christmas!!! And if I don't manage, then have a happy one!**


	11. Breakdown

**A/N: So, I had someone point out that Edward isn't really as masculine as he should be. There's a reason for that, though. He is very self-conscious after what happened especially after living in a house full of people that never look any different. It makes him feel his vulnerability much more than he would if he were in a house with humans. He knows they can never end up like he is currently, and it makes him think a lot less of himself. So, yes, he is slightly feminine. Hopefully, this chapter will show some of what I just told you. If not, then you know anyway.**

***WARNING!* There is one small reference in this chapter that may offend you. Please take into account that no harm/offense is meant.**

**Enjoy!**

_Breakdown_

The next few weeks followed just like that day, and so did the next few months. The end of the first quarter came and went, with most teachers taking the same approach to Bella's situation as Mr. Banner. They must have had a meeting about it or something because I highly doubted all of them came up with the same thing all on their own. All of us had straight A's, and Esme and Carlisle couldn't have been more proud. None of us had told them about what was going on, but they seemed to know something was up.

Thanksgiving came and went, Esme making a huge meal just because she had someone who could eat it. It was actually my first Thanksgiving with the Cullens, since I moved in with them after New Year's. Bella made a show of trying to eat with me, but quickly had to stop. I laughed at her expression, almost choking on the food in my mouth.

Bella had been true to her word. She told me she would help me get stronger, and she did. Religiously, she would wake me up and let me have breakfast before we took a lap around the house. She would have me do one as soon as we got back from school, and then once more after dinner. The first few time had been rough, and she had to catch me more often than I was able to walk without her. Any day that we had off from school, she had me walking around the house five times each day, no matter how much I protested. Sometimes I wished that we would get a blizzard just so that I wouldn't have to do it for a few days.

I was still using my chair at school, but Bella locked it up in her truck as soon as we got home. It was times like those when I thought back to how I had looked in the mirror and thought about how she could do so much better than me. Every time she locked that truck and forced me to walk around the house, completely ignoring my pleas for my chair, I couldn't help but think where I would be without her. Not long after this epiphany, I decided that I would just go with it and let her go once she found out how much better she could do. Until then, I would protect her like I had promised the very first day I met her and make sure she was happy.

All of us had gotten a lot closer since Bella came around. Well, to be exact, _I_ got a lot closer. The Cullens had been pretty close-knit before I showed up, and they had tried to pull me in, but I had just been too stubborn. It was like I had been determined to wallow in my depression. Bella came, and everything changed. I came out of my room. I talked more. I showed emotion. I laughed without sounding forced. It was like I did a complete one-eighty in the personality department. I could tell Carlisle and Esme were pleased, and the others had a certain glow whenever they saw this "new" me. Alice made sure to point this out a number of times. Jasper and Bella had gotten really close, as well, since he could tell exactly how she was feeling without having to ask her about it. She seemed to appreciate his help in the emotion department.

It was the first week of December and Bella and I made it through another day of school. We were going out into the parking lot when he showed up again. It had been a while since his last "attack," and he caught us off guard. Bella had carried a small backpack with a notebook and some pens into school that day, trying to entertain herself. Lucas came up behind her and yanked it off her shoulder and shoved her to the ground.

"So, what could Helen Keller possibly feel a need to bring into school? You can't read, so it's not books. I guess you could draw, but you wouldn't even know what it looked like once you were done," he said, going through her bag. I went to grab it from him, but he turned away and took a step, getting out of my immediate range.

"No, bad boy. It's rude to grab things from people, you know. Didn't your mother teach you manners?" His eyes grew wide, and so did his smirk. My hands were clenched in front of me and I could feel someone walking up behind me, but Lucas kept going, his gaze rising to meet whoever was behind me. Bella got up and looked like she was going to kill him.

"Oh, that's right. Your momma can't teach you anything, now, can she? Unless you can talk to the dead," he spat. He laughed once. "And I bet that foster mother isn't capable of a damn thing either, is she?" He threw Bella's bag on the ground and walked away, laughing. "You would've been better off if you died, too, Cullen, but at least you found someone you have _so_ much in common with!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Emmett walked in front of me and grabbed Bella's bag, putting a hand on her shoulder and steering her towards me. She took her bag gently from him, like she was trying to keep herself together. Her hand was trembling with her anger. I felt a hand grab my shoulder and wave after wave of calming emotion flooded into me. I went to slap Jasper's hand off of me, but he just grabbed my wrist. I tried to break free for a few seconds, but quickly gave in. He slowly let go of me, making sure I had control before fully letting go.

"That kid is going to pay for this," Emmett growled through clenched teeth. "No one insults my family like that and gets away with it."

Alice knelt down next to me and searched my face for some hint of what I was thinking, but didn't say anything. I turned away from her and glanced at Bella, who was clutching her bag tightly in her fists. She had a look of shock on her face, and her eyes seemed to see past anything in the present moment. She was thinking…remembering something, and didn't like it. Something was going on in her head, and it was something that didn't concern any of us.

All of a sudden, her face rapidly started changing. She went from her initial shock to guilt to fear to desperation, and even determination. That was the final set of her face when she looked at me, almost like I was the cause of her feeling that particular emotion. I could still see the immense anger in her eyes, and it magnified my own to know he had attacked her as well as the rest of my family.

His words repeated themselves over and over in my head as we headed home. This hadn't been their fight, and he had no reason to bring them into it. Especially my parents. I wasn't sure, but that was probably what was fueling my anger the most. What he had said about my mother was like dancing on her grave, and he was going to pay for it. I didn't know how or when, but I was going to get him back for that.

My breathing got heavy and labored with my anger, and my hands balled into fists. I hadn't said anything. I let him walk away after what he had said, and didn't say a word against him. He had managed to sneak up on Bella and push her to the ground, but I just let him walk away. He went through her things and insulted both of us. He treated us like trash in the back alley. He insulted my dead family. He pretty much told my story to Bella. A story that wasn't his to tell, nor was I ready to hear out loud.

An angry tear made a small trail down my face as Bella stopped her truck in the driveway. I slammed by body against the door to open it, and fell out. I landed on my feet, but the impact caused my still-weak knees to give out. The others were there, debating whether or not to help me, but I grabbed onto the door handle pulled myself up. I walked as fast as I could up to the front door to see Esme standing there. She looked at me, her face etched with a worried I hadn't seen since my days of depression, but kept walking right to my room. I slammed the door behind me and collapsed on the bed, tears of sorrow and self-directed anger mixing as they made their way down my face. I wasn't crying, so I heard the soft footsteps that stopped outside my door. I wiped my eyes on the corner of my pillow. Whoever it was knocked gently, and I lashed out at them, seeing my only target.

"Leave me the hell alone! Just go away for once!" I screamed, an evil sense of pride welling up in my chest. I didn't hear anything, so I assumed they had gone. A few minutes later, my door was slammed into the wall and Jasper came in, His face twisted in an anger I had never seen before in him. It radiated off him and I felt it even more when he flipped me onto my back and his hand wrapped around my neck.

"Who the hell do you think you are, yelling at her like that?" he spat at me, his eyes looking exactly like the black abyss he looked like he wanted to throw me in. I didn't hide my fear, which he could feel anyway, but I was also confused.

"Wha-What…?" I gasped, his grip just enough to make it hard to talk and scare the crap out of me.

"Bella, you little jerk! Why did you yell at her like that?" he said, dragging out his words like he was talking to an idiot. I heard someone come running in and Jasper was pulled off of me. I rolled on my side and started coughing, gasping for breath.

"What are you doing?" Emmett's voice boomed. I turned my head to see Emmett holding Jasper against the wall, Jasper's dark eyes boring right into my head. "You said you'd keep control." He just kept shaking his head, not paying attention to Emmett.

"You little brat! After everything she did for you, this is how you repay her?" he kept saying. I sat up and slowly shook my head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, my voice raspy. "What about Bella?"

"She's _gone_! _She_ knocked on your door! She wanted to _talk_ to you! She wanted to _open up_! She wanted _comfort_, and all you did was _yell_ at her! She's _gone_, Edward! _Left_ without any of us knowing!" Jasper yelled. All the color drained out of my face at his words.

"Yeah, that's right! After all the time she spent working with you, after all she put up with at the school, _this_ is how you decide to repay her!" he yells, sarcasm and cynicism rolling out of his mouth.

"You…you're lying," I whispered. Jasper shook his head, and I did the same. "No, that's not true." I felt a growing sense of loss even as I denied it, like I was unconsciously searching the house for her just to find that she wasn't there. "You're lying. Where is she?"

All of a sudden Alice was next to me, holding my hand in both of hers. "Edward, she's really gone. I had a vision of her leaving about five seconds before she actually did it. It was a split second decision. She went out her window and ran into the woods. She's surprisingly fast. None of us could catch up to her," she finished, laughing slightly despite the situation.

"No. No, she can't be gone. She's here somewhere," I repeated over and over again.

I ripped my hand out of Alice's and scrambled off the bed. My knees gave out in my haste and almost crashed against the floor before I caught myself on the bed. I pushed myself up and walked as fast as I could to my door. I heard Alice talking soothingly to Jasper, but didn't bother to listen. I crashed through Bella's half open door, but the room was empty. That growing emptiness turned to dread as I looked at the open window, knowing they were right.

Bella was gone.

I almost ran back to my room, my legs protesting the intense movement. I went straight to my closet and shoved open the doors, ripping my jacket off its hanger. I headed for my door again when someone grabbed my arm.

"Edward, what are you doing?" Alice asked from behind me. I shook my head, but didn't turn around. I couldn't speak. It would make things that much more real. I knew what I was doing, she knew what I was doing, so why did she want me to say it?

"You can't go looking for her, Edward. You won't find her. She could be anywhere by now, at the speed she was going. Besides that, you're just being able to walk long distances. What makes you think you could go looking for her and make it back to the house safe?" she tried to reason. I shook my head again.

"It- It doesn't…matter," I gasped out, Bella's absence hitting me like a grief I thought I had gotten over.

"Edward, you know it does. Don't pay attention to Jasper right now. He's just as worried as you are. All of us are worried about her. We're going to look for her around here, but we're not going to go out of Washington. You are going to stay here until we get back, okay? Carlisle doesn't want us worrying about where you are while we are trying to find Bella." I didn't respond. I just kept looking at the door, thinking that if she would just let me go, I could go find her. All I needed was Alice to let go, and I could go look.

"Edward, please. You need to stay here so we can focus on finding Bella," Alice repeated, most likely seeing everything I was planning in my head. I had one rational thought, and it was to clear my head. I did so, and she sighed while gently pulling me over to my bed. I felt one leg hit the side before she grabbed my shoulders and turned me so I was facing her. She gently pushed me down so I was sitting on the bed. She took my coat from me and threw it over the back of my chair.

"Now, please, stay here, Edward," she repeated. I kept my gaze on the wall, but didn't move. My mind remained blank and she sighed. She pulled me to her and hugged me, kissing the top of my head. She left after that, leaving me sitting there.

I waited before walking out the door. I didn't know how long, but I didn't care. I stood on the porch and looked around the house, trying to find anything that could tell me which way she went. There was a small spot in between two bushed that looked like they had been moved a few times, some of the smaller branches broken to leave a path. I walked as fast as I could in that direction, even though I couldn't go all that fast. It was like a hobbling half-run, but it was all I could manage without permanently injuring my knees. They still weren't all that strong, and they wouldn't be able to take the impact of me running.

I reached the bushes, but I wasn't good enough at tracking to know how long ago someone had gone through. What I could tell was that someone had been through there a lot. I followed the trail of broken sticks, twigs, and branches deep into the woods. I didn't know how long I walked, or exactly what direction I was going in. I just walked.

It must have at least an hour. It was starting to get dark and I was still walking. I had slowed down as soon as I entered the woods so I could watch where I was putting my feet. The path had led up a slight incline that also slowed me down, and then up and over a ledge.

I was going over another now when a small noise caught my attention. It sounded like someone crying. My heart started beating faster and faster as I got closer. There was a sound from right next to me before a sharp pain erupted in my temple. Whatever hit me fell to the ground and I turned to see two small pairs of eyes staring at me from a tree. The brown eyes were not the ones I wanted to see, so I turned to continue up. The chipmunk continued to chitter at me until I was fully past its tree.

My legs were burning with the amount of exercise I was doing, and a dull ache was starting in my thighs and calves. Alice had been right. Even if I turned around now, I'd never make it back to the house. So I continued up, passing even more animals that seemed to be going in the same direction. They seemed wary, but determined to reach their destination.

I reached to top and leaned against a tree, trying to catch my breath. I had ended up in a small meadow, the darkening sky creating a surreal glow towards the center. The trees line most of the outer edge and the remnants of wildflowers dotted the ground. I heard the soft cry again, and my eyes were drawn to the opposite side of the meadow.

The little chipmunk that threw something at me scurried and leapt over to the kneeling figure and jumped on their shoulder. A deer moved behind them, looking a little disoriented but not running away. It looked straight at me before nudging the person before it. They started turning, exposing a healing wound at the base of the deer's neck. The light of the setting sun shone off the long brown hair, and set off a show of little rainbows on the person's face.

Bella turned around fully and slowly made her way towards me, stopping and sitting down in the middle of the meadow with her knees at her chest. She wrapped her arms around herself and laid her cheek on her knees so she was facing away from me. The injured deer came and laid down behind her, wrapping its body around hers. The chipmunk buried itself in her hair, chittering to her.

I hesitated for only a second before slowly walking over to her, agonizing pain shooting up and down my legs. I ignored it as much as I could, but a small sound escaped my lips. I stood a few feet behind her, my legs threatening to send me crashing to the ground.

"Bella…" I whispered. She turned just enough so that I could see one of her eyes over her shoulder, but didn't respond. She must have fed off that deer, because her eyes seemed to glow gold in the fading light of the clearing. I looked straight at her and the color seemed to swim around. I jumped slightly and shook my head, clearing my thoughts and focusing on what I had to say. She closed her eyes and turned away.

"Bella, I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling like breaking the quiet would be wrong. "I didn't know it was you knocking, or I wouldn't have said what I did. I didn't mean it, I just…I wasn't…I…I felt like I had to lash out. After what he did…I…I was just so mad." I huffed, at a loss for what else to say.

Bella sat there looking away from me for a few seconds. Then she patted the ground next to her, telling me to sit. I took a few steps so that I was next to her and slightly in front before slowly lowering myself to the ground. My breath hitched as pain shot up my legs again, and faded to a burning ache once I sat. I looked at her, waiting for a response, and she sighed.

_You don't have to apologize, Edward. I should've known things would be a little touchy after what happened_, she signed.

"So…you're not mad at me?" I asked. She shook her head and smiled.

_No, I was never mad. I understand that you could need a little time after that. That's why I came out here_, she signed, waving one of her arms to take in the meadow. That brought a question to my mind.

"Bella…why are all these animals here? Shouldn't they be running away from you?" She laughed silently and shook her head again.

_No, they don't. I have a different relationship with my prey than your family._ I looked at her, completely confused. She seemed to know what I was thinking and petted the chipmunk still in her hair.

_Wherever I go, I make a deal with the animals. They know what I want from them, and I know they want to protect themselves and their family. I can't block my feelings from them. We're too alike. They know exactly what I'm feeling, like when I came out here. One of the animals, usually the strongest, will allow me to feed off them every now and then as long as I don't attack any other member of their family. I try to be as gentle as I can, but sometimes I wait too long._ She turned to me, waiting for some kind of response. I cocked my head to one side.

"So…you can talk to the animals?" I asked hesitantly, thinking about violent chipmunk sitting about a foot from me. She shook her head, but stopped and looked like she was thinking.

_Well…no, not really. They can tell what I'm feeling, but I can't feel what they are. It's like the opposite of Jasper's power. People can feel what I'm feeling, but I can't feel them._

"Well…why can't I?" I asked. She shrugged.

_Maybe it's for the same reason I can't see you as clearly as other people._ I thought about it and nodded slowly.

"That's got to be it. What else could it be?" I asked, not expecting an answer. We sat there after that, just looking around and enjoying each other's company. The sun had almost fully set before she started talking again.

_I…there was something I wanted to tell you before,_ she said, hesitating.

"Go ahead," I encouraged. She still seemed undecided. "Bella, it's okay. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" I asked, leaning forward slightly. She smiled and nodded thankfully.

_Okay,_ she started. _Well, after what was…said, it made me think. It made me think that maybe…maybe I'm ready…ready to tell you what happened to me…why I am the way I am. I just don't know how much I'm going to be able to tell you._

"That's okay. If you feel that you're ready, then you tell me as much as you can. Once it gets too hard, then stop," I said. She took one of my hands in one of hers and nodded, but didn't start. "Just begin where it's easiest, Bella. Work into the harder stuff." She nodded again, her gaze focused on our hands.

_Well, I guess the biggest thing is that I haven't always been this way, and I'm not talking about the whole vampire thing._ She looked at me, and then back at our hands.

_I used to be able to see and talk until a few days before I was turned, but I don't want to start with that. I probably won't get very far if I do._ She paused and looked up at the dimming sky.

_I was probably the most popular girl in school. The whole school was my friend. The teachers adored me. I never got in trouble. Every guy in the school wanted to date me just so they could say they did. I was every parent's dream child._ I was getting an extreme sense of déjà vu, but didn't interrupt.

_I didn't want to date at first. All of my closest friends were and the drama that came from it was unbelievable. But I was asked by this one guy. He was always so nice, and he was really quiet. He was also in the same grade as me. I said yes. That was at the very beginning of our sophomore year. I was really happy with him. He didn't try to push me into anything, and he was happy to do whatever I wanted. He was so easygoing._ She paused, reminiscing, before she continued.

_We lasted three whole years before it happened. He changed. He got violent, and I got scared. I stopped talking to people so I wouldn't have to lie to them about how I was doing, but Charlie and Renee knew something was going on._ She stopped again and looked up at the night sky. The bright light of the stars reflected off the tears that were forming in her eyes. It was completely dark now, but the cloudless night sky lent just enough light for me to see what she was signing.

_It started off slow, and I told myself it was going to stop. He wasn't that kind of person. Things must have been really tough at home. I knew what happened to other girls who said that, but I told myself he wasn't like those other guys. He wasn't mean._ She laughed cruelly, the sound breathy without a voice to enhance it. Her tears were falling freely no, but she made no move to wipe them away, so neither did I.

_I couldn't have been more wrong. He played me. The whole time he was just trying to make me trust him unconditionally, so that when the real him came out, I wouldn't try to leave. I fell right into his plan, and my parents ended up dead. He murdered them, and then he changed me. I don't even think he wanted me changed. I think he wanted me dead, but messed up somehow._ I felt my eyes widen as the words poured out.

_Three days before he changed me, he beat me to an inch of death. He slammed my head against the ground, the house, my truck, anything hard that could do damage. He left me almost completely blind, more so than I am now. Why? Because I told him I was done. I couldn't take the way he treated me or my family, so I was going to leave him. I had talked back to him before, but he beat me then, too. After the last time I talked back, I didn't talk for a whole month. I opened my mouth for the first time after that, and then that's when he blinded me. Those next three days were spent in the hospital, in and out of a coma because of the large amount of head trauma. The doctors told Charlie and Renee about my sight while I was out, and they got me the truck I have now._ She smiled cynically, and turned to me.

_That's all I have left of them, Edward. My truck and the little things I was able to steal from the house after I changed._ She broke down sobbing, making my heart contract with shared pain. She let her head fall onto her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. I knew she was done, and scooted close enough to wrap my arms around her silently shaking form. The only thing that gave away her crying was her breathing. She grabbed my shirt and threw herself at me, burying her face in my shirt.

I held her for a long time. She had left hug gaps in her story, like who the scumbag was, but I didn't want to push her. The moon had fully risen and its silvery glow coated the ground. I tried to hold back my shivering, but it was getting way too cold for me. I could feel all of my joints creak with even the slightest movement, and stabbing pains shot out of my knees when I tried to bend them.

Bella had finally stopped crying and raised her head. I reached up with one hand and brushed wet strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. She smiled and hugged me. I shivered once and she jumped, looking at me confused. She put her hands on my face, her mouth turning into a frown. I shivered again and she stood up, offering her hands to me. I reached up just as another shiver hit me, this one more violent than the last. She grabbed my hands and hauled me to my feet, catching me as I continued forward with the force of her pull. I wrapped my arms around myself, but continued to shiver. Bella rubbed her hands up and down my arms, her head swiveling all around the clearing like she was looking for something.

The little chipmunk erupted out of her hair and chittered in her ear. She put her hand up next to it and it climbed on. She brought it in front of her and it pointed its small form towards the part of the clearing behind us. We turned around to see a large black mass moving through the darkness, right in our direction. Bella slowly bent down and put the chipmunk on the ground, draping one of my arms across her shoulders with her free hand. She slowly stood up straight and wrapped one of her arms around my waist.

_I don't know what it wants, so we're going to have to make a break for it,_ Bella signed with her free hand. I squeezed her shoulders once to let her know I understood and prepared to either run like I've never run before, or get mauled by a bear.

The beast erupted into the clearing with a toss of its humongous head and looked right at us. Bella tensed under me, making me worry. The thing roared once and Bella was off, knocking me off my feet and trapping me right next to her body as she ran towards the house. I tucked my face into the crook of her neck, trying to keep any exposed skin out of the wind she was making with her speed.

We reached the house in no time and Bella ran right up to my window, letting go of me with one hand before jumping through. She walked over and threw the covers on my bed back, carefully setting my convulsing body down. I immediately felt the absence of her body next to mine and started shivering even harder. I heard the window slam shut and she laid down next to me the next second, tucking the blankets tightly around me before hugging my body to hers. I heard someone come in, but I passed out from exhaustion before I heard anything they said.

**A/N: So, I kind of missed the day I wanted to post, but MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS!!! My gift to you is MOST of Bella's past. I hope you're happy with at least some of the mystery that is Bella. And the song is Breakdown by Daughtry. :D**


	12. Chemicals React

_Chemicals React_

**BPOV**

I traced the lines of Edward's face as he fell asleep, putting every little detail to memory. I hadn't asked him to describe himself to me, but I had a feeling he wouldn't do himself justice. From what I could tell, he was beautiful. He sighed as I traced his jaw line with the tips of my fingers, his head shifting so I was cupping his face. He was cold to the touch even for me, and I pulled the blankets up so they were covering half his face. His family walked in then, Alice rattling off strings of profanities at both myself and Edward.

"I can't believe him! Or you! Why did you do that? You could've come to one of us if you wanted someone to talk to!" she yelled at me. I just sighed, waiting for the end of the rant.

"And Edward! You don't even have the decency to be awake when we come to make sure you're okay! Ugh!" She threw her hands up in the air before collapsing on the end of the bed. "Thanks, Jazzy," she said as he walked over to her, kissing her on the top if the head. Jasper turned on the lamp beside the bed before standing behind Alice again. I propped myself up on my elbow, my head resting on my fist.

I had to smile at them. They had been together so long that they could tell what the other needed without asking. I had been in this life for three years and still hadn't found that person. I didn't have any hope that I would, but it was nice to see such nice people happy.

"Sorry about that," Alice said. "You have no idea how worried I was when I saw him leave. We were already so far away looking for you that we just decided to search the few towns around where we were and come right back. It would have been sooner but we made sure to look in every little spot that you could fit." She smiled sheepishly. "We really had no idea where to look for you. We went into Forks and spread out throughout Washington from there. By the time I saw Edward heading along that trail, we were too far to go all the way back just to go looking for you again."

I nodded once, but didn't feel the need to say anything. I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit angry that they hadn't immediately come back when they knew Edward was wandering around in the woods alone, but I also understood their situation. They knew how Edward would react if they stopped him from looking for me, and then stopped looking themselves because of their concern for him. He would never forgive them. I was humbled that they would go so far out of their way to look for me, but they should have been more concerned for their brother.

I sighed as I looked down at the blur that was Edward's face. My heart tightened as I put the image I made of what he looked like over it, but it didn't feel the same. I still felt like I was lacking something with it. Another feeling came to the surface as I ran my hand through his hair. I couldn't name it, which confused me even more. It made my heart tighten even more, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It was like…a desire to protect Edward, to make sure he was always okay, but stronger. There was more to it, but that was just as hard to place as the emotion itself.

"Love," Jasper said, apparently feeling my confusion and whatever else it was. I looked up at him. He was still standing behind Alice, his hand on her shoulder.

"Love, Bella. That's what that is," he explained. I looked down at Edward's half-covered face as a smile crept onto my face.

Love. That had to be it. There was no other word for it. The overflowing protectiveness. The overwhelming desire to be near him. The feeling of completeness whenever he was around. The connection I felt to him that I had no solid explanation for. It was love.

I ran my hand slowly through his hair again, my fingers brushing his face. He felt a lot warmer than he had before. He sighed as my hand reached his cheek, his sweet breath rushing over my wrist. My smile grew until I remembered why the others had come in. I looked up at them, nonchalant confusion on my face.

"We just wanted to make sure Edward got back. We didn't know until we were coming up the driveway that you were here," Jasper said, once again reading my emotions like they were my thoughts. "He _is_ okay, right?" He asked, his voice betraying more emotion than usual. I nodded, pulling the blankets down just enough to show them his face. Carlisle decided to speak up then, scaring the crap out of me since I didn't know he was there. I heard his light steps as he walked over.

"He looks okay," he said. "His lips are still a little blue, but he feels warm enough. Just don't let him get too hot, alright?" he said. I nodded again, the smile making its way back onto my face. I felt his hand squeeze my arm once before it disappeared and all I heard were pairs of light steps getting farther away as they left the room and closed the door.

I let my gaze wander over Edward's face, or what I thought was his face. I could tell he was beautiful, even for a human. Probably more so than that sleaze ball when I first met him. That was before I knew he wasn't human, though. And just like that, all of my insecurities flooded my mind, threatening to drive me insane.

What if Edward didn't love me back? What if I wasn't good enough for him? What if someone better looking came along and he decided to leave? What if he turned out just like _he_ did?

The questions repeated over and over in my mind, new ones making their way in every now and then as my breaths quickly became short and shallow with my panic. I leaned up and grabbed at the necklace around my throat, feeling it grow warm with my touch. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself, taking deep, slow breaths. I felt a small touch of calm help me, but didn't look up at Jasper until I was sure I wouldn't have another attack.

"Why did that both feel and look like it was routine?" he asked me. I just looked at my lap and shrugged. He didn't press any further, but sat down on the end of the bed by Edward's feet. I could still feel him looking at me, but the dim light from the lamp was really messing with my eyes.

"You don't have to worry about him, Bella. I want you to know for a fact that he feels like you do." He chuckled. "Right down to the insecurities. I've felt what he feels for you, and I felt it again tonight. Don't make yourself so confused and doubtful, Bella. You have no reason to." I hesitated, but took his word. I nodded and I felt him stand up, the bed rising with the absence of his weight. I felt him stop right next to me and his hand rested lightly on my shoulder.

"Here, I'll show you what I mean. Get up and stand by the wall," he said. I was completely confused, but did what he asked, making sure not to disturb Edward.

I walked over to the wall and turned around, just able to make out Edward's sleeping form in the lighting. He just continued to lay there and I looked at Jasper, confused. I thought I saw him grin and he thrust his head towards Edward. I turned back to see him starting to stir, moving his arms and legs like he couldn't get comfortable. He turned his head so that he was facing me, but didn't say anything. I took a guess and said he was still asleep. I heard a soft groan come out of his mouth as he threw one of his arms across the section of the bed where I had been. I chuckled and he turned over completely. I felt Jasper move next to me and lightly push me forward.

"Go get him, little sister," he whispered, making a smile break out across my face.

I took a few steps forward and sat on the edge of the bed so that I was facing Edward's head. I let my fingertips lightly brush over his face, letting me know what his expression was. From what I could tell, it was a mix between confusion and sadness. His brows were wrinkled together and I smoothed them gently, taking his face in my hands. My thumbs brushed over his cheeks and I could just feel a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

He was smiling.

I heard the bedroom door open and close softly and knew Jasper had left. I smiled down at Edward, even though I knew he couldn't see me. Jasper had been right, and now I knew for sure. What the next step was, I had no idea. So I took Edward's hand, his immediately tightening around mine, and moved next to him on the bed. I rested my free hand on the side of his face and he moved the arm that I was holding on to so that it was wrapped around my shoulders. He pulled me closer so that I was right against him before draping his other arm over me. He sighed and my smile grew. I folded my arms between our chests and laid my head down on his arm, letting my mind drift off, the last thought running through my head being that I'd have to tell him the rest of my story before I did anything else…

_***~*~***_

**EPOV**

I was warm and surprisingly happy when I woke up the next morning. Or, I hoped it was only the next morning. My arms were wrapped around something, and something was resting on my upper arm. It was somewhat chilly, but not enough to make me cold. I yawned before opening my eyes to see Bella's head resting close to mine. She was still sleeping, or whatever you want to call it, and there was a small smile on her face. I smiled and rested my forehead against hers gently, trying not to wake her.

I stared at her closed eyelids as she slept, thinking just how lucky I was. Bella had to be the kindest, most beautiful person in the world and here she was, laying in my arms when she could be with any other guy she wanted. I couldn't explain how happy I was that she hadn't. I felt myself slowly getting over the insecurity I had had before, my mind now telling me why I shouldn't try to push her towards someone else. There was no argument that I was probably the only person who could understand her and love her the way-

My whole body tensed and my eyes widened. I couldn't believe it. I had just used _the word_. I didn't even know if I was ready to, and I just did. About Bella. The girl sleeping in my arms. The girl who stole my heart the first day we met, even if neither of us knew it. The girl I understood like she was my other half. The girl who didn't mind that I wasn't the most active person in the world. The person who helped me do things I had trouble with, even though she didn't have to.

I loved Bella.

I loved her. I loved her. I loved her. My heart soared with this epiphany, and a smile broke out on my face. I looked down at her and it grew even more. She moved her head closer to me, burying her still sleeping face in my shirt. I heard her inhale deeply before sighing and had to hold in a chuckle. I reached up behind her and brushed back the hair that had fallen over her face, letting my fingers linger on her face. She leaned up into my touch, causing my hand to cup the side of her face. She moved one of her hands over mine and moved her face back into my shirt, not letting go of my hand.

"Yeah, I'd have to say he's fine," Alice's voice said from the doorway. I turned my head just enough so that I could look over my shoulder. She was smirking at me, one of her hands on her hip and the other holding the doorknob. Jasper's head appeared around the corner and his face broke out into an eerily knowledgeable smile. I glanced down at Bella and her eyes were still closed-

Oh, boy. Just great. Exactly what I needed to wake up to. As soon as either of them came close to the bed, they would see her sleeping, and I knew Bella probably wouldn't appreciate the questions that could come from that.

And, of course, Alice started dancing her way over. This was not a good start to my day.

"What's up, Alice?" I asked as she stood a few feet behind me, just enough so she couldn't see Bella. She just shrugged.

"Wanted to know if you were alive, is all," she responded, glancing at Bella's sleeping form. "What's up with her?" She thrust her chin in Bella's direction. I looked down at Bella and then back at Alice.

"She's not a fan of the sun early in the morning," I said, mentally smacking myself in the process. Alice looked thoughtful. I held my breath, waiting for her to answer, waiting to see if my lame response worked. Waiting to see if Bella had some explaining to do to the rest of the family when she woke up.

"Hmm…She must not have been much of a morning person before she was changed…" Alice said, almost to herself. I let out my breath in a low sigh of relief just as Bella's hand twitched over mine. I looked down at her face just as her eyes fluttered open, revealing the softly glowing golden color that was currently my favorite. She smiled softly at me, her eyes searching my face. I smiled back.

"Well, we can tell Carlisle that everything is fine in here, Jasper," Alice said, moving back over to the door. "Just don't forget about school today, you two." And with that, they walked out and shut the door. I let my head fall against the pillows, ending up almost touching Bella's face.

"That was a close one," I whispered. "She almost saw you sleeping." Bella's eyes widened for a second, my breath softly rustling the loose hairs around her face. Then she turned thoughtful and resigned. She scooted herself backwards just enough for her to be able to fit her hand between us and sign to me without completely moving out of my arms.

_I'm going to have to tell them eventually,_ she said, her eyes looking into mine. I nodded once.

"Yeah, I know. I just want to make sure it's when you're ready to, not when they find out by accident," I said. She smiled softly and nodded.

_I've got to tell you the rest of my story sometime, too_, she added. I shook my head even though she couldn't see it.

"Only when you're ready, Bella. Besides, I haven't told you mine, yet," I said. I thought about it for a second before deciding. "Do you want to head back up to the meadow when we get back?" I asked her. She looked at me nervously.

_Are you sure? It didn't turn out all that great yesterday._

"Yeah, well…I was…exactly prepared yesterday," I whispered turning my head towards the ceiling. "Plus," I hesitated, "I think…I think I'm…ready. To tell you mine." I could feel myself blushing, and was somewhat happy she couldn't see it.

So, going along with the start of my day, she took the hand she was signing with and put it against my cheek. She smiled and shook her head as she felt the heat in my face. She took her hand from where she was holding mine to her face and signed.

_Are you sure you want to?_ She asked. I nodded. _Okay. We'll go later and make sure you have warmer clothes on._ I nodded again.

"Now, we have to get ready before they come barging in here again," I said, starting to move towards the edge of the bed.

She let her hand slowly slide off my face and I let my arms brush over her as I moved. It had been the closest we've ever really been to each other while both of us were conscious, and I really didn't want it to end. It didn't look like she did either, and it brought back what I had discovered just a few minutes ago. Maybe, just maybe, she felt the same way.

We finally stopped touching and I slowly turned towards the edge of the bed. My breath hitched as the muscles in my legs screamed from the exertion of last night's hike. I took calming breaths and continued to move them, trying to ignore the pain. My feet finally touched the floor and I stood up slowly, trying to make sure I could catch myself if I started falling. I closed my eyes as sharp pains ran up my legs and felt two hands steadying me, one grabbing my upper arm and the other resting in the middle of my back.

I opened my eyes slightly and turned my head to see Bella standing next to me. She looked down at me with a small, understanding smile on her face. There was no pity in her eyes, just the kind of caring I hadn't seen from anyone but the Cullens in a long time.

I stood up straight and waited for some of the pain to fade away. Bella held on to me the entire time. It faded after a short time, but didn't fully go away. I sighed and started walking towards my dresser, Bella following at my side. I grabbed a random shirt and jeans and Bella opened the bathroom door for me, closing it as I set my clothes on the counter. I changed and brushed my teeth slowly, letting Bella have enough time to get dressed before I came looking for her.

I stepped out of the bathroom and, as expected, my bedroom was empty. I grabbed my backpack off the floor and walked to Bella's bedroom. The door wasn't fully shut, so I stuck my head in before opening the door all the way. She was standing at the edge of her bed, facing away from me, and I walked up behind her. I put my hand on her shoulder and looked over the other at what she was looking at.

She had her bag open in front of her on the bed, the contents spilled out. She must have been making sure everything was there from yesterday's events. The thing that caught my attention was the piece of paper she was holding in her hands. It looked like she had opened it and then closed her fists around it, but she wasn't moving. Her head was down and she was staring at it. My body tensed as I saw the tears falling down onto the paper, making wet spots all over it. I took my free hand and wrapped it around hers, gently prying the paper out of her hands. She let go after a few seconds, and leaned back against me, her hands going up to cover her face as she sobbed quietly.

I unfolded the paper in my hand, not taking my other from her shoulder. I saw the writing before it was even fully open, but kept going anyway. The letters were large, and the computer paper was white enough that the black sharpie letters stood out in stark contrast. The person who wrote it had to have known about Bella's condition to take the time to do that, and it struck both fear and worry into me. The anger and intense protectiveness came after I read the carefully scripted words on the page…

_**I'm back, my Bella.**_

_**I hope you missed me…**_

**A/N: This seems like an appropriate **dun, dun, duuunn** moment…ANYWAY, so sorry about the lack of updating, but I've had quite a bit of my usual writing time taken up by various things.**

**I know this was a lot shorter than usual, but I want to try to get another chapter out this weekend (fingers crossed!). It also seemed like an appropriate place to end. And, once again, the Volturi WILL be making an appearance. Quite soon, as far as I can see at the moment. So will the wolves, but I can't say anything more on that topic…**

**The song is Chemicals React by Ali and AJ. This one was a little harder to choose, since nothing really happened, but this one seemed pretty close.**

**Please review! Any and all suggestions are welcome, and so is any constructive criticism you may have. As long as you state it without implying that the whole story completely sucks, feel free to tell me. I appreciate the help! :D**


	13. A Twist in My Story

**A/N: HOMEWORK/TESTS!!! ARG!**

_A Twist in My Story_

**EPOV**

My hand slowly closed around the crumpled paper, my anger growing with every second and every shake of Bella's sobbing body against mine. I still didn't know who this guy was, but I knew Bella was scared of him. I gently turned her around and hugged her to my chest, laying my head on top of hers as she sobbed into my shirt. Her fists closed around pieces of my shirt as her tears soaked in. I held her as she sobbed, barely noticing Alice and Rose walk in behind us.

"What's going on? Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked, walking up behind me. Bella just buried her face farther into my shirt.

Alice turned to me. I could see her looking at me, could tell she was saying something, but nothing registered. I just stared blankly at the wall behind her. She must have noticed the paper in my hand because I felt her tugging at it, her lips forming words again, but I heard nothing of what she said. I felt her hand squeeze my arm and she continued to try to get my attention. I figured she wanted the paper, since she kept trying to pull it out of my hand, and told myself to let go. My grip lessened after a few seconds, my mind slow with the news the note brought. The paper slipped out with Alice's last gentle tug and I used my newly empty hand to hold Bella tighter.

I heard Alice gasp, and Rose's voice muttered something, but I didn't pay any attention. I slowly closed my eyes and kissed the top of Bella's head, slowly leading her to the edge of her bed. I sat down carefully, making sure she sat as well, and continued to hold her. She had stopped sobbing by now, but her body was flinching at the slightest of sounds. She also still had tears freely falling down her face. She moved around until she was sitting in my lap and let her hands fall from their grip on my shirt. She put her face in the crook of my neck, her tears continuing to flow. The direct contact seemed to jolt my mind out of its stupor, and Alice's words finally started registering and making sense.

"Edward! Edward, tell me what's going on! Edward!" she kept repeating, sitting next to me and leaning forward so that she was looking right in my eyes. I didn't have a response, and just looked down at Bella. Alice must have noticed my return to full consciousness, because she got down on the floor right in front of me and put her hands on my knees. She spoke softly, like someone would to a small frightened child.

"Edward, tell me what's going on. Who's this note from?" I tried to say something, but my voice wasn't cooperating, so I just glanced from her back to Bella.

"Is it someone she knows?" I nodded once. "Edward, you have to tell us what's going on. We can't help unless we know." I felt Bella tense against me and shook my head once. It wasn't my story, and I wasn't going to tell it if she didn't want me to.

"Edward, you can't help her all by yourself. Do you even know who it is? What they are?" she tried to reason. The truth was that I didn't when I didn't respond, she knew that, too.

"You need our help, Edward, and you know it. Doesn't it make more sense to have six vampires on your side? What are you going to do if this person's a vampire?" My whole body tensed and my eyes grew cold. I slowly raised my gaze to meet hers, my words sharp.

"If you had changed me before, we wouldn't be having this problem." Alice practically growled.

"You know why we didn't, so don't even go there!" She looked like she was about ready to strangle me. "We knew you wanted to be changed, but we also knew you didn't want to live the rest of your life in a chair! There was no way for us to know if you would have been healed with how long it had been since the accident! You know that! Carlisle made sure you knew!"

"No one's said anything now that I can walk, have they?" I asked, sarcasm rolling off my tongue. Alice was about to say something when Bella's hand touched my neck and I felt her shake her head against me.

"No what, Bella?" I asked gently, trying to keep my anger in check. She pulled back just enough so that I could turn my head and look at her. Seeing her tearstained face made my heart contract with guilt. This whole thing started because of a note to her, and yet, here I was, arguing with Alice over something that wasn't all that important at the time. Bella's hand was shaking as she signed to me.

_Tell them, Edward. It doesn't matter anymore, so they might as well know._ She wouldn't look at me as she said it, and I could see another tear make its way down her face. I put my hand on the side of her face and wiped it away with my thumb.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded once before leaning against me again, closing her eyes and sighing in what sounded like defeat. I nodded once, sighing myself, before turning my gaze to Alice and Rose.

"I can only tell you what she's told me so far. I don't know how much more there is to it, though." They just nodded.

So, I recapped everything Bella told me yesterday, my voice growing hard every time I mentioned the other guy. I still had no idea who he was, but I felt like I hated him just as much as I would if I knew him. Alice and Rosalie let me tell the whole story without interrupting, except for a gasp or mumbled curse every now and then. When I finished, Rose turned away and Alice stared at Bella, her eyes full of unshed tears. None of us said anything, and Bella didn't move. I had felt her flinch when I mentioned her family, but she kept her eyes closed.

Esme was the first to break the silence, her shaking form coming around the corner into the room. Her mouth was slightly open in what looked to be shock and tears welled up in her eyes. She kneeled down next to Alice, folding her legs under her as she sat.

"Bella…why did you let him do that? Why didn't you leave him sooner?" Bella flinched at the questions, and guessed she had asked herself the same ones. Bella had already told me, so I answered.

"She didn't think it would happen again. She kept the image of how he was when they first met at the front of her mind instead of seeing what was in front of her," I said softly.

It might not have been exactly what she told me, but it's what I figured out by the self-contempt she showed as she told me. I saw Bella look up at me and looked back. She seemed shocked that I'd figured that part out, but just let her head fall against my chest again, her eyes closed. I thought I also heard a sigh, like she was relieved that she didn't have to admit to it.

"So…you tried to leave when he…did that?" Rose asked, trying to keep her voice calm. I looked at her face and could tell she was anything but. I felt Bella nod and watched as Rose's face hardened before my eyes.

"You were right to," she said. "No matter what happened because of it, you were right to try to leave. Believe me." And with that, she half-ran out of the room. I watched her leave, knowing what was going on in her mind. The four of us sat there in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to do. I closed my eyes and rested my chin on top of Bella's head.

"What are we going to do?" I whispered, keeping my eyes closed.

"I called Carlisle, but he's the only doctor in today. He can't leave until another doctor comes in."

I opened my eyes to see Jasper leaning against the door frame, his hands in his pockets. He looked a little uncomfortable for eavesdropping, but I could see his frustration and anger. He walked over and stood next to Alice, who looked up and smiled sadly at him.

"The way I see it, there's really nothing we can do right now. We don't know where he is, and only have a vague idea of what he's planning. We know he's coming for Bella, but we don't know when, where, or how he'll try to get her." Jasper smiled cynically. "Why not just go to school? We're already late, but who cares?" I sighed.

"We might as well. Maybe get Lucas to spill about the note," I said.

"You think he had something to do with it?" Alice asked softly. I shrugged.

"He took Bella's bag yesterday. That's where she found the note. How else could it have gotten in there? One of you would have noticed if he came in here while you were home." I felt Bella stiffen slightly and looked down at her. She glanced at me and looked away quickly.

"Bella? Is there something we should know about him?" I asked gently. She just looked at her lap. I took her chin in my hand and turned her face to mine. She kept averting her eyes, only glancing at me for a second.

"Bella, if there's something we need to know, you've got to tell us," I pleaded. She kept glancing at me hesitantly, but nodded after a few seconds.

_He…has a lot of powers. I…I'm not sure, but he might be able to…hide himself,_ she signed shakily. I turned my head to one side, slightly confused.

"What do you mean, Bella?" I asked after translating. Everyone else seemed to have the same question. "What do you mean, hide himself?" She seemed hesitant to answer. She started to just as Emmett and Rose came in. They stood against the wall, Emmett's hand on Rose's hip and her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, but neither of them said anything.

"Go ahead, Bella," I said softly. She nodded.

_He…When he'd follow me, I wouldn't know he was there until I saw him. I think…I think he can hide his presence, and I know he can change how he looks. It doesn't matter if he changes his appearance now, because I wouldn't even be able to recognize him. I just know what he…feels like, I guess. I don't know how else to describe it. His presence?_ She shook her head and shrugged. I let the others know what she said and rubbed her back as she leaned against my chest.

"So he could be anyone right now…" Alice whispered, voicing what all of us were thinking. Bella nodded.

_Everyone except another vampire. He can get extremely close, but he can't perfectly match them. I don't know why,_ Bella signed, seeming agitated. I squeezed her shoulder once and she put her hand over mine.

I sighed and rested my forehead against the top of Bella's. "Anyone."

_***~*~***_

Emmett punched him square in the face. I could hear his nose break from where I was sitting, about five feet away. He caught his balance before he smacked back against the lockers, but nothing was going to stop the blood rushing down his face. Bella grabbed my shoulder from her position behind my chair, probably from the crunch of his nose.

"Have anything else to say, asshole?" Emmett boomed. Lucas just laughed, his voice muffled by all the blood.

He had just finished another rant, Bella and I the victims once again. He made a mistake this time, Jasper, Emmett, Alice, and Rose with us instead of somewhere else in the school. Emmett had already been seething from the events of the day before, and the latest string of profanities as we made our way to the parking lot was enough to set him off. He had been so focused on us that Emmett's attack seemed to catch him off guard, but he recovered quickly. Lucas shook his head, hysterical laughter escaping his blood-covered mouth. He backed towards the exit doors, a mad glint showing in his eyes.

"Your little boyfriend won't be able to save you, Isabella. You're not safe. You'll never be safe." And with that, he turned and ran out of the building.

Rose walked over to Emmett, talking to him quietly to get him to calm down. Jasper looked like he was doing the same, but staying at a distance in case it had the opposite effect. Bella's hand trembled on my shoulder and I moved mine under it, lacing her fingers with mine. She squeezed my hand and I squeezed back, letting her know I was there. She surprised me by wrapping her arms around my shoulders, without separating our hands, and laying her head on my shoulder. Her face was facing my neck and I could feel her labored breaths as she exhaled. One tear slipped down her face and landed on me.

"Come on, Bella," I whispered. "Let's get out of here." She nodded against me, sniffing as she raised her head. I pressed the back of her hand to my lips before letting her fingers slip out of mine. She looked as shocked as I did at my actions, but a soft smile slowly spread across her face.

All of us made our way outside, Emmett and Jasper looking to see if Lucas had stuck around. As I expected, he didn't. Bella stood behind me as I got into the truck, but I didn't really need help anymore. There were times when my knees would give out, but they were getting fewer and farther in between.

She folded the chair and stuck it behind my seat before getting in on her side and starting the truck. She wiped at her eyes one last time before backing out of the spot and heading towards the road. I was thinking about what Lucas had said that day, mostly about Bella but not forgetting to take a crack at me every now and then, when I decided to say something I hadn't expected to until we got to the meadow. It shocked me even as I said it.

"It was an accident," I said, swearing at myself for being so vague. I glanced at her and she slowed down, trying to give us more time to talk before we got home.

_What was?_ She asked, using one hand before quickly replacing it on the steering wheel.

"Why I was in that wheelchair all that time. It was a car accident." I sighed and leaned my head against the window.

"I was the most popular guy at my private school. Just your average jock that all the girls wanted to be with, even if they didn't really like them. They'd get as close as they could to breaking the dress code just to try to get our attention, no matter how shallow it made them look." I _tsk_-ed at myself, thinking about how close I came to dating one of them.

"I was approached all the time, mostly because I always said no. I think it just became a game after a while. Who'll be the first to get him to say yes?" I asked sarcastically. I shook my head.

"Anyway, I had gotten in trouble for something stupid, and it wasn't the first time. My parents were getting tired of always being called into the school, and decided to try somewhere else. They took me to Forks High, ironically enough, and we took a tour. I don't think I was really a bad kid, and my parents didn't seem to either. They never told me I shouldn't do this anymore, or anything like that. They just told me I had to learn how to make better choices. They wouldn't explain, but I think it had to do with my choice of friends. I wasn't ecstatic with moving to a different school, but I didn't argue with them. I wasn't stupid. I could see that my friends were only my friends because of my position on the different sports teams I played." I smiled, thinking about how good I had it now.

"In celebration of what they liked to refer to as a _new beginning_ for me," I said, emphasizing those two words, "they decided to take me to Port Angeles for the day. I had already gone through the first five weeks at the private school, but they said a new start meant I had to get new everything. Clothes, shoes, books, anything you could possibly imagine was what they said they were going to buy me." Bella pulled into the driveway and put the truck in park. She turned her body so that she was facing me and nodded for me to continue.

"It was a Saturday. Mom and dad were in the front, and I was sitting behind the passenger seat. We had gone maybe a quarter of the way. Dad had started singing along to the radio and mom and I were laughing. I don't know what it was, but something shot out in front of the car and dad swerved to the right. There was a car coming in the other lane, and he had enough time to think about them while he was trying to avoid us getting hurt. He shouldn't have," I said bitterly. Bella reached over and gently took my hand. She squeezed it once, and I squeezed back.

"He swerved around whatever it was, but he lost control. There was a drop right next to the road, and the car caught on something along the guardrail. We flipped over it." My voice was starting to catch and I could feel the burn of tears building up behind my eyes. Bella stifled a gasp and I turned my head towards the window.

"We rolled a few more times. I don't remember how many, but we stopped on the roof. I blacked out after that. When I started waking up, the paramedics were there. I opened my eyes, but everything was all blurry. I could see shapes moving around, and I guessed they were people. I could hear them coming down to us, but I couldn't move." I felt the first traitorous tear slide down my face, but I didn't wipe it away. I heard a buzzing coming from my bag, but I left my phone in there. I had to get through this first.

"They went to my parents first, but they were…already…gone. The paramedic came to me next, but I don't remember anything after he called for help and told me everything was going to be okay. I remember my legs being pinned, but I don't know whether or not I actually felt the pain I remember or if I made it up." I almost broke into hysterics, but Bella's hand squeezed mine, bringing me back to what I was saying.

"I kept gaining and losing consciousness once they got me into the ambulance. I heard something about the car being bent slightly right in front of me. It's what pinned my legs. I also heard the beeping of the heart monitor every now and then. I actually heard my heart miss a bunch of beats and they would start freaking before it would start beating again. It was always erratic. One beat wouldn't even finish before another started, or there would be a big gap between them. I didn't even know that was possible." I shook my head, smiling strangely.

"They kept telling me 'Everything's going to be fine. You're going to be fine. We're almost there.' They just repeated themselves, tapping my chest every now and then to try to keep me awake. They told me I hit my head on the window, but I didn't remember that happen. The headache that hit as soon as they mentioned it in the ambulance told me they were right. I didn't care what had happened to me at that point, but I didn't have much of a choice. They told me my back was injured, and I was bleeding, but they couldn't do anything about it until they knew there wasn't any permanent damage."

I had unconsciously moved my free hand to the scar along my back. A piece of the window had somehow managed to stay in one relatively large piece and had gotten wedged between me and my seat while we were rolling down the hill. It had been a little more than a superficial wound, but it made them examine my back more than anywhere else. It was when they found the break.

"I don't remember anything after that, except a little in the recovery room after surgery. They woke me up from the anesthesia just to have me almost immediately fall back asleep. The only words I heard were 'poor boy' and 'paralyzed'. I wasn't awake enough to ask what they were talking about, but I overheard a conversation between two of the doctors when I woke up in my room. It was the first day I met Carlisle, ironically enough." I gave a half-hearted laugh and my phone buzzed again. I looked down at my bag and noticed the wet marks all over my shirt from my tears. I swiped at them fiercely and wrenched my bag open with my free hand. I refused to let go of Bella's.

The front screen read _2 NewMessages_ and I flipped it open. Both of them were from Alice, and I knew she would have called unless it was important. Like, I-can't-let-a-certain-person-know-I'm-telling-you-this kind of important. I sighed deeply and opened the first one. My brow furrowed in confusion and building anxiety. I opened the other one and my eyes grew wide. I turned to Bella, who was looking at me curiously.

"We've got to get to the house. Apparently someone is there to see you."

**A/N: I know, another long wait. Well, the end of second quarter tends to cut in on free/writing time, so it was a little difficult to get this done. BUT, here it is. Hopefully it was worth the wait, even though you kind of knew most of Edward's story already.**

**The song is A Twist in My Story by Second-Hand Serenade. Yes, I know some of you don't like that I do this, but it's more of a way to help me remember what happened in each chapter. Like with this one, Edward is telling his story and the song title pretty much says that. No part of the song is in the chapter. Plus, it just so happens to be the one that won't evacuate my skull at the moment…**

**Please review! Any guesses as to who the visitor is? I know a bunch of you will get it, even though I didn't put any kind of clue in here…AND I'll try to update on time next week. I have a max of 5 hours that I have to be at school for the entire week, so I should have a lot of free time! XD**


	14. You and Me

_You and Me_

**EPOV**

_Get home now. I just had a vision._

_-Alice_

_Where are you? You and Bella need to get home NOW! The Volturi are coming. They want to meet Bella._

_-Alice_

Those were the messages. Those were the messages that set Bella off into panicked hysterics after I read them to her. She was currently bawling her eyes out with fear and shaking her head back and forth. She couldn't steady her hands enough to sign, and knocked the keys out of the ignition when she went to start the truck. I unbuckled my seatbelt and scooted over next to her. I grabbed her hands in mine, steadying them, and she let her forehead rest on my shoulder. She was trembling all over, but it seemed to lessen as I wrapped my arms around her and held her to me.

I sat there holding her for a few minutes, whispering to her, trying to calm her down. I told her it wasn't him, but it didn't seem to matter. She didn't react much at first, but she her trembling slowed until it was like constant shivering. I took my right arm from around her and fished around on the floor for the truck keys. I felt the cool metal against my fingers and picked them up. Bella's tears had pretty much stopped, and she was just laying against me now, her face in the crook of my neck. Her hands were lying limply in her lap. I heard her sniff every now and then, but there wasn't the steady flow of wetness hitting my skin like there had been.

"Don't worry, Bella. I won't let them hurt you. Everything's going to be fine," I said. I couldn't tell if I was trying to reassure her or myself, but I felt her nod slightly.

I moved her onto my lap and scooted over into the driver's seat. She stirred as I started the truck, but didn't lift her head. I put my foot on the break and put the truck into gear. I eased off the break, hesitant to be behind the wheel of a car after so long, especially with someone else in the car. I drove down the winding driveway at a steady fifteen miles an hour, not feeling confident enough to go any faster. My phone went off again, about half way to the house, but I left it on the passenger seat.

We finally broke through the forest surrounding the house and I parked in front of the garage. I turned the truck off with a relieved sigh and moved my head slightly so I could look at Bella's face. Her eyes were a dull gold, not the swirling molten color they usually are. Tear tracks fell all over her cheeks and I tried to wipe them away as best as I could. She didn't react to my touch, her eyes staying the no-one's-home shade they were. I sighed wearily and grabbed my phone from the seat, opening the new message.

_They're here. Where are you?_

_-Alice_

I hit reply and told her we were outside. Almost immediately, the curtains over the living room windows rustled, quickly followed by the door opening. Alice's head shot out and she beckoned us in with frantic waves of her hand. I nodded once and her head disappeared back into the house.

I looked down at Bella's slightly trembling form and put my hand against her cheek. I moved my thumb back and forth, my eyes searching hers for any sign of awareness.

"Bella?" I whispered. She didn't move and I tried again. "Bella, wake up." I spoke a little louder and saw something shine for less than a second in her eyes. I said it again, moving my thumb over her face as I spoke.

"Come on, Bella. You need to wake up." She convulsed once in my arms and blinked slowly. Her eyes were still the same. I saw one of her hands flinch, like she was trying to move it, and tried again.

"Wake up, Bella. No one's going to hurt you. I'm here." I gently pulled her face closer to mine and pressed my lips against her forehead. "He's not here, just me. It's just me," I whispered against her head. She jerked again, and her hand came up to mine. I pulled back and her grip on my hand tightened.

I watched as the gold in her eyes brightened, a soft light forming in the center as she came back to herself. The gold started swirling softly, and she blinked a few times. She turned her head against my shoulder, her gaze searching for mine once more. I smiled.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked softly. She looked down at her lap and nodded, her hand still clutching mine against her. "It brought your memories back up, didn't it? That's what happened?" She closed her eyes tight and nodded once. I sighed and moved my thumb over her cheek again. She flinched, looking like she forgot she was holding my hand, but didn't let go. I rubbed her arm with my other hand and she sighed, looking up at me, defeated. I chuckled, knowing what she was thinking about.

"Come on. Let's get this over with before Alice has to come out and get us." I felt her tense slightly, but she nodded, letting go of my hand.

"Hey," I said, gently grabbing her chin and moving her head until she was looking at me. "I'm here, okay? I will do everything I can to make sure they don't do anything to you that you don't want them to. They're not going to hurt you, Bella."

She smiled sadly and nodded. I let go of her chin, wiping away a stray tear as she looked at me. She leaned forward hesitantly and I froze, my hand suspended in the air half way to Bella's lap. It had slipped my mind that she was in mine. She continued to slowly lean forward, her hand coming up to cup one side of my face. She paused for a moment, her eyes searching my face uncertainly.

I couldn't speak. My heart was pounding its way out of my chest and my breaths were ragged and uneven. I could feel her shallow breaths hit my face, making it even harder to even out my own. I knew what was going to happen, but it didn't help me in any way. I probably had the deer-in-the-headlights look, and was immensely glad that Bella couldn't see it.

What I didn't know was why I couldn't finish it. I was frozen in place, not able to do anything but breathe. Bella's face was only about an inch from mine now, and an explanation suddenly popped into my head.

I didn't want to mess it up.

This was the girl I loved, even if she didn't know it just yet. She hadn't given me enough time to wonder about her feelings for me, but I was happy about that. She was telling me, right now, how she felt, and I was frozen because I didn't want to mess it up.

Bella's thumb brought my mind back to the truck, my body in the same position it had been in. It moved from the corner of my mouth and slowly moved along my bottom lip, tracing it. It reached the other side and she traced the top all the way back. I inhaled sharply, not realizing that I had held my breath. Bella smiled, probably hearing the lapse in my breathing, and gently pressed her lips to mine.

Bright sparks exploded through my mind, leaving me reeling. Her lips were chilly against mine, her hand still cupping my face. I finally gained some control of my body and moved my lips against hers, my hand moving to the back of her neck. We moved slowly, tentatively, until we broke apart after what felt like a lifetime. I was gasping for breath, and Bella's were slightly heavy as well. My eyes searched her face. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but she seemed to be doing the same. I moved my thumb along her neck under her ear and she smiled. I leaned in and kissed her once more, only pecking her. She laughed silently and shook her head. I managed to get my voice to work again.

"Now we've really got to get in there. We both know Alice saw that, and it would be suicide to keep her waiting," I said breathlessly. Bella laughed silently again and nodded. I took my hand from her neck and she draped her arm lazily over my shoulders.

I opened the door and felt her arm tighten as she kept herself from falling out. I remembered to take the keys out of the ignition and gave them to Bella before turning towards the door and sliding out, my arm sliding under her legs. I surprised myself when my legs held even with the extra weight. Bella seemed surprised as well, and kissed my cheek. She tapped my shoulder with her hand and I put her down. She threaded her fingers through mine as I shut the door and we walked up to the house.

Alice opened the door as I reached for the knob, glaring at me as we walked by. She shut the door behind us and headed into the living room. I heard murmuring voices, but they stopped as we got closer. We walked into the living room and were met by an older looking man, his eyes the only betrayers to his age.

"Ah," he said. "You two must be Edward and Miss Isabella. It is so nice to meet you." He nodded slightly to both of us, and I couldn't tell who he was more interested in. His eyes darted between Bella and me, not staying on either of us longer than the other. I didn't know what to say, not that I even knew who he was, and Carlisle stepped in.

"Edward, Bella, this is Aro. He is one of the leaders of the Volturi," he said, gesturing towards the man. Aro inclined his head again and I nodded warily. The blood red of his eyes was extremely distracting, and a little nerve-wracking.

"I received a call about the two of you and I must admit your stories piqued my interest. So here I am." My jaw dropped.

"Who told you about us?" I blurted out. Aro looked like he wanted to laugh, but kept it in.

"They did not give me their name, young one, but they sounded very sure of what they were telling me. And I see they were right." He looked pointedly at our entwined hands and my grip tightened on Bella's. Aro must have seen it, and a small laugh echoed out of his mouth.

"Oh, do not worry, little one. It doesn't look like I could take her from you without having to take you, too. But this is not what I have imposed on my friend for." He put his hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "I have quite a few questions for the both of you, if you would be so kind as to answer them." I glanced at Bella and she looked up at me after a second.

"What do you think?" I asked her quietly, knowing every vampire in the room could still hear me. Her brow crinkled together slightly as she thought it over.

_Well…_, she started signing slowly. _I'll answer what I can, but there's a lot I don't know. Do you think he will?_ She looked back at me again, her brow still crinkled. I shrugged, knowing she would feel it through our hands and how close we were standing.

"Maybe. I don't know." She thought for a few more seconds before nodding her head. "You sure?" I asked. She nodded once more and I looked back towards Aro.

"We'll answer what we can, but we have some questions for you, too. Well, Bella does." Aro nodded.

"That is understandable. I will let you anything I can, but there are no guarantees that I will be one hundred percent correct." Both Bella and I nodded and all of us took a seat on the love seat. Aro sat down in the recliner next to us while Esme, Rose and Alice took the couch. Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper stood behind their other.

"So," Aro started. "There is no denying that the relationship the two of you have is like nothing I have ever seen before. Isabella, my dear, why do you use sign language instead of speaking to young Edward?" I felt Bella look at me and turned to her. I turned back to Aro.

"She can't speak," I said, getting straight to the point. Aro's eyes widened slightly, but he caught himself. He seemed to think about this for a second, leaning his chin on his fist.

"Then why don't you sign back to her, my boy? Especially when it is a private conversation?" he asked, looking like he thought he caught me with something.

"I can't. I know sign language and I've used it to communicate before, but I can't with Bella. She…Well, she can't see me enough to be able to tell what I would be signing. It might be possible with someone she could see better, but not with me." I squeezed Bella's hand in mine and she put her other hand on my upper arm.

"I see." Aro looked at Carlisle. "You have quite the mystery on your hands here, my friend." Carlisle smiled grimly and nodded once. Aro turned back to me. "What about you, my boy? I was told of your condition when Carlisle and Esme took you under their wing. I see it has greatly improved." I nodded once. "Do you want to explain how this came about?" I tilted my head to the side slightly, thinking.

"I really don't know. I had a pain attack at school, Bella drove me home, and I woke up…what, two days later? I kicked Jasper while we were talking about something and it's only been getting better since. I don't really know how it happened. Carlisle took x-rays and it showed my back was almost perfectly aligned again," I explained slowly. I looked at him. "Do you have to take more now that I'm able to move on my own?" I asked him.

"I probably should, just to make sure nothing else is going on. We're still not sure what caused it, but I don't think the x-rays will show much. They'll just be a precaution," he answered. I nodded and turned back to Aro.

"Fascinating…Did you think that maybe your friend here had something to do with it?" he said, gesturing to Bella with on hand. I shook my head slowly and glanced at her.

"No…no, I didn't." I turned to Bella. "Can you do that?" She looked down at her lap hesitantly, shrugging her shoulders. She took her hand from my arm and started signing slowly, like she wasn't sure what she wanted to say.

_I…Well, yes, I can. I don't know if I did that to you, though. It happened on accident the first time, and I haven't really done it since my change._ I gapped at her until Alice cleared her throat loudly. I told them what she said and they looked at each other, confused. Aro had a thoughtful look on his face. I turned to Bella when I felt her hand tense in mine.

_I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just wasn't sure, so I didn't say anything. I thought it might have been me, since we were sleeping in the same bed, but I couldn't be sure. I don't have any control over this,_ she signed, her hands unsteady. I saw a tear slide down her cheek and wiped it away with my thumb.

"Don't apologize, Bella. If that's true, I have a lot to thank you for," I said, a smile on my face. She looked up at me, a small smile on her face.

_Thank you,_ she signed slowly. I shook my head and kissed her forehead.

"I'm not the one who needs to be thanked, but you're welcome anyway." I felt eyes staring at us, and turned to see Aro watching curiously.

"May I ask what else you can do, my dear? This is the first time I have ever heard of a vampire having the ability to heal others, let alone a human," he said slowly. I looked at Bella and she leaned behind me slightly, like she was trying to hide herself from his view. She must have been able to feel his appraising stare. I turned my head towards her and she looked at me.

"Bella, is there anything else he should know about? Any other power?" I asked gently. She thought about it, but seemed hesitant to say anything. Finally, after about a minute, her hand came out from behind me and she started signing.

_I…I don't know if this is an actual power, but I'm easily read. People have no difficulty finding out how I'm feeling. It's almost like I project my feelings towards others. I can't influence them in any way, but they can tell almost the exact emotion I'm feeling._ I nodded, already knowing that from when we were in the clearing, and translated. Aro nodded silently.

"So it's like you have half of my power," Jasper said. Bella nodded, leaning her face against my back.

"Yes…this I have actually heard of before. It was a very long time ago, though. Is there anything else, Isabella?" he asked quietly. Bella moved her face so that she was leaning on my shoulder and I could see her face.

_I have to go into a trance for at least four hours a day. Otherwise, I feel my powers going farther and farther out of my control. It's kind of like I'm sleeping. And…And I can see auras._ I had been translating as she signed, but froze when I read this.

"What?" I asked rather brightly. The others started complaining, so I explained before saying it again. Bella smiled sheepishly.

_I don't use it that often. Just when I'm meeting new people_, she signed slowly.

"What's it look like?" I asked. She smiled.

_Well, everything but the people and animals around me turns black and the people turn colors depending on what they're feeling. Animals, too. There's just always a hazy green hint around animals._ I reiterated this for the others. Aro looked especially thoughtful after this new information.

"Hmm…You have quite the array of abilities, Isabella. This is sounding more and more familiar to me," Aro said slowly. "My dear, do you bleed?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. Bella turned her head to one side thoughtfully. She didn't answer right away, looking shocked at what he had asked.

_How'd you guess?_ Aro smiled.

"My dear, I haven't seen one of you since my earliest years in this life, and that was quite a long time ago," he said his eyes losing focus as his mind went back to a time only he could see. Bella tugged on my hand and I turned back to her.

_What is he talking about?_ I shrugged, moving our clasped hands to emphasize. Aro blinked, looking right at Bella.

"What about your healing? Can you store it in different things?" I looked at Bella, who nodded warily. "Do you have it in anything right now?" Bella nodded again and dug something out of her shirt. She pulled out a set of what looked like military dog tags and let them fall against her shirt.

"Ahh…they have sentimental value, don't they?" he asked. Bella smiled softly and nodded.

_They were my father's from before he became police chief. He was in the army for a while, but he got injured. They sent him home and he worked in the police station after that_, Bella signed. She wrapped her hand around the tags and looked at me. The action reminded me of something, the day I woke up after my attack.

"Is that what you were holding the day I woke up? Is that why you looked so worried?" I asked. Bella looked at her lap and nodded once.

_Yes. I was pretty sure it was me, but I didn't think it came directly out of me. I was trying to see how much of my healing energy was still in them, to see if it leaked out of there. I felt a small absence, but it was nothing compared to how much I had stored._ She glanced at Aro, and then back to me. _Can you ask him what he meant before? About what I am?_ I nodded and turned to Aro.

"Yeah. She wants to know what you meant before when you were talking about what she is," I asked. He smiled and nodded.

"Well," he started, leaning back in the chair and threading his fingers together. "There is no exact name, but that is because of how few of you there have been. It is informally called being death-kissed." He looked at Bella, waiting for a reaction. None came, but he had her undivided attention.

"The powers of these beings revolve around the soul. You project your feelings, see auras, and I am sure you have no trouble forming some kind of connection, either good or bad, with people. You are a young one, though. It is highly likely that you will develop more powers as you age, but you also may not. No one knows much about you, but there is a small amount of information in the library in Volterra." He paused and looked down at his hands.

"To explain what you are, and not just give it a name, is much more difficult than with a normal vampire." He looked up quickly and I tried to keep myself from jumping.

"Isabella, it might be easier if I knew the exact events surrounding your change." Bella tensed, squeezing my hand. "You do not have to tell me. I can see it for myself if you would rather do it that way." Bella's brows crinkled in confusion and she tilted her head to one side.

"It is my power. I can read minds through contact. All you have to do is give me your hand and let me see. The only thing is that you will have to see it as well."

Bella tensed even more, her grip on my hand becoming borderline painful. I wrapped my other hand around hers, gently rubbing my thumb along the side of her hand. She jumped at the contact and her grip immediately loosened. She grabbed my hand with both of hers and felt over my fingers, seeming satisfied when she didn't find anything wrong.

"I'm fine, Bella," I whispered to her. She nodded once and re-intertwined our fingers before putting her free hand on my arm again. Aro smiled sadly.

"I know it will be difficult for you, but it is the last piece to this little puzzle that you are." He tried to sound compassionate, but his curiosity wasn't fully covered up. Bella looked at me hesitantly, not sure of what she should do.

"It's up to you, Bells. I'm right here either way," I reassured her, squeezing her hand in mine. She smiled and looked down at her lap, thinking. She raised her head after a few moments and nodded once, hesitantly.

_I don't know if I'll be able to go through with all of it, but I'll try._ I translated again and Aro smiled.

"That is all I ask of you, my dear. We can stop whenever you want." Bella nodded again, leaning farther against me. I wrapped my arm around her without separating our hands and she smiled at me. Aro smiled softly and extended his hand towards Bella.

"Shall we begin?" Bella nodded stiffly and placed her hand over his. She moved it more towards the middle, her shaking causing her to almost miss his. Aro closed his eyes and I gasped. Everything around me went black.

Flashes of images passed through my mind. A small living room, a second floor staircase, a single window, a hallway leading to a kitchen.

A body.

Another body.

And a scream.

**A/N: So? Nice long chapter just for you! I know this was a really mean place to stop, but it was just too much information to put in one chapter. But I hope to get the next one out next week so you don't have to wait too long for the rest of Bella's memory!**

**The song is You and Me by Lifehouse.**

**Please review and let me know how mad you are at me for this! :P**


	15. My Wish

_My Wish_

**EPOV**

The images slowed down. Aro must have found the one he was looking for. The two bodies were lying on the floor in the living room, only part of them visible from where we were looking from. We moved closer to the doorway, the bodies coming more and more into our line of sight. There was a mirror hanging on the wall and we looked into it as we passed by. Bella's face looked back at us, her eyes unfocused and slightly white in the middle.

I thought back to what she had told me in the meadow. This guy had made her blind even before he changed her, so this memory had to be the one when she was changed. That brought up the question of how we were seeing everything perfectly, but I held it in until we were done here. I felt a rising dread as my mind made up different scenarios about what we were going to see, but I quickly shut them down and paid attention to what was going on.

Bella continued to walk slowly towards the living room, the three of us still seeing everything out of her eyes. I could feel her need to call out, to call to her parents, to hear their voices and know they weren't who was on the floor. There was a small sense of frustration, a sense of knowing what would happen if she did, but it was quickly squashed by fear and her own sense of dread that magnified my own.

She took the last two steps into the living room, stopping at the feet of the first body. It was a woman, her brown hair splayed out on the floor around her head. Her eyes were open, revealing a deep brown under the milky film that was quickly taking form. She was facing away from Bella, lying on her side. I felt Bella's breath catch in her throat as she looked down at her mother. She bent down and almost touched her face before stopping herself and standing back up. She looked over at the other body, knowing exactly who it would be.

He was lying face down on the floor facing away from Bella. His left arm was twisted into an awkward position and his legs were splayed. His right arm was up by his face, some of his fingers pointing in odd directions. She slowly walked over, the desire to wrap her arms around herself and curl into a ball in the corner growing more and more. She kneeled down on the floor next to him and noticed something shiny on the floor. Most of it was under him, and she gently pulled on the cool metal chain.

She heard the tinkling sound of metal hitting metal and a tear slide down her face as she pulled out her dad's dog tags. Her hands shook as she held it up, wiping the slick wetness off of them. She couldn't see what it was with the poor lighting in the room, but she knew it was blood. She dropped the chain over her head and tucked it securely under her shirt, the cool metal all but reassuring against her skin.

She stood up and closed her eyes, making everything go black. She was sobbing quietly her hands fists at her sides. She kept blaming herself, over and over again. She kept repeating "it's all my fault, it's all my fault," not paying attention to the sounds around her. But I heard them, which meant, somewhere in the back of her mind, she did too.

Footsteps. Almost silent, but sounding purposely loud enough for her to hear.

"Is-a-bell-la," an arrogant male voice called. Bella tensed, her sobs cut off with her fear. "I told you I would never leave, and that means you can't either. So come here like a good little girl. It won't hurt, I promise." The voice almost started laughing.

Bella knew better now than to trust him. She backed away slowly, hearing his voice from the back of the kitchen. Her heart was beating out of her chest, her breaths short and shallow as she tried to make as little noise as possible. There was a slight pain in my hand, but I couldn't think of what could be hurting her.

Bella started backing towards the door, which hadn't been closed all the way when she came in. It would be an easy escape. Something blurred in her vision and the next thing she knew, the door was closed and locked, both with the knob and the deadbolt. Her heart clenched with fear and she started back towards her parents. She glanced at the stairs, knowing the only way out now was an open window.

"There's no escaping me, Bella. I thought you learned this already, but I guess I'll have to teach you again. Your parents didn't understand, either. They told me to stay away from you, but I just can't do that." He tried to sound pitying, but there was an underlying sense of exhilaration, like he was enjoying what was happening.

Bella's eyes widened, his voice being closer than it had been. Her breaths came even faster and she looked around the room, starting to panic. She looked down at the floor, wishing they were there, wishing they could help her, tell her what to do. She noticed two dark spots on her mother's neck, and large dark lines running down to the floor and under her. They were on the side she was laying on, which was why Bella hadn't seen them before. She took a few steps over towards her father, looking around his neck. He had the same marks, and the same dark pool under him. Confusion raged in her, along with terror.

"Come here, my girl. You know I will get you anyway, but don't you want to make it easier?" He sounded like he was just around the corner behind her.

Bella ran up the stairs, completely forgetting about being quiet. He knew exactly where she was, and she knew it. She crashed into the banister and tripped up the first few steps. The voice laughed, the sound echoing in her mind.

She continued running up the stairs, lifting her feet higher to avoid tripping again. She made it up and crashed to the ground in her haste. I felt my own heart beating, not only with her exertion, but with her absolute terror. The pain in her hand increased, and I felt it like it was my own. It was a sharp, piercing kind of pain, but I was brought back by a loud crash right above Bella's head. He laughed again and Bella took off down the hall. She knew she was trapping herself if she couldn't get out the window, but she had no other choice.

One door was open, her bedroom door, and she barreled into it, slamming the door behind her. She pushed the lock button, hoping to buy herself some time. She ran over to the window, and fumbled with the lock. It hadn't been open since summer, and the lock was stuck. She tugged at it with all she had, but it didn't budge. She tried again, using her weight to pull it back. It slid half way, but he burst through the door before she could get it all the way open. She suppressed her scream as best she could, but his shadowed face broke out a toothy grin.

He knew he had won.

Bella kept tugging at the lock, a last ditch effort to save herself. The lock slid free just as his cool arms wrapped around her like thick metal bands. She let the scream out this time, but his hand clamped tightly over her mouth. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, his hand securing the hold by clamping on her hip.

"See?" he said in her ear. "I told you I would get you." He walked over to the door with her and kicked what remained of it shut. He kicked the rest in front of it and then walked over to the bed. He threw her down and paced in front of her.

"Now the question is what to do with you." He stopped his pacing and tilted his head, like he was listening to something far away. He smiled and looked down at Bella, his face a blur of shadow. "Well, that takes care of that. Someone must have heard your mouth when you screamed. They're talking to a dispatcher, but it doesn't sound like they are taking the call very seriously." He leaned over her cowering form, an arm on either side of her to keep himself up.

"I guess you'll just have to die now. It is a great disappointment, though. I was going to have so much fun watching you squirm."

He leaned down, his nose brushing against her neck. She tried to move away, but he clamped down on her arms. He inhaled deeply and sighed. Bella's heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was going to stop at any moment. Her chest actually hurt with the force of her heartbeat.

He started kissing her neck, moving from under her ear down to her collar bone. He made sure to go over the pulsing vein in her neck, seeming to relish in the feel of her heartbeat under his lips. He placed one more slightly low on her neck, at about the level of her parents' wounds. Bella was completely frozen with terror, not able to move any part of her body no matter how hard she tried.

All of a sudden, he grabbed her arms and picked her up. He tossed her up into the air and kicked her across the room. Her back slammed against the wall and something cracked. Her head hit not a second later and bright lights erupted in her vision. She heard him walk up to her as she crumpled to the floor and tried to lift her arms to shield her face. He kicked her in the stomach and then proceeded to pick her up by her hair before continuously punching her stomach. He let go when he heard her gag a few times and she fell to the floor with a loud thump. She landed on her side and lay there, tears trailing down her face while she held in her sobs.

"My, my, Isabella. What are we going to do about those tears? I think I should just put you out of your misery now, but what fun would that be?" He laughed again.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and flung her across the room. She slammed against the headboard and rolled down off the pillows. Her vision went black from the impact and she closed her eyes. Her whole body was on fire with pain, and she couldn't move. He grabbed one of her legs and turned her so that she was laying down on her back on the bed, her head just below the pillows. She felt his weight pushing down on the bed next to her and kept her eyes closed tight.

"Look at me, Isabella. Now," he said, his voice slow and sharp. She didn't and a sharp pain erupted on the side of her face. "Now, Isabella." His voice was lower, more sinister, and it sounded like he was having trouble shaping his words. Bella passed it off as the result of the hits to her head.

She opened her eyes and her vision slowly cleared. She almost screamed when she saw him. His eyes were deep blood red and sharp teeth protruded out of his mouth, dimpling his lower lip. The rest of his face was still in shadow, but the fangs poking out of his mouth were completely visible.

"You like them, my girl? I hated having to keep it a secret from you for so long, but now you can know. You can know because you are never going to see another day." His tone was light and his words were slurred slightly, but it didn't take away from his seriousness. Bella knew she was going to die. What he was never really clicked in her mind. Only that one simple fact.

He reached over her, propping himself up on one hand. The other shot down at her neck. His hand clamped around the back and he forced her to sit up. He rubbed his thumb across the side of her neck, a smile creeping across his face.

"This will only hurt a little, my Bella."

Just as his fangs pierced her skin, I was ripped out of the image, a crushing pain in my hand and a ripping sensation coming from my chest. There was a sense of falling before I hit something hard, my vision black from the pain. I heard someone yelling something and the grip on my hand disappeared, but I couldn't tell what anyone was saying. A bright white light started growing in my vision, but very slowly. My body kept getting lighter and lighter, like the weight of the world was leaving my shoulders…

**BPOV**

I couldn't do it. I had been able to watch, but I couldn't go through that again. It had felt like the greatest level of intrusion, like he was looking directly at my soul. He wasn't going to do it again, even if it wasn't real.

I attacked his shadowed face, my arms suddenly finding the energy to move. I had kept his face hidden to make it easier for me to let Aro watch, but now I let his hate-filled face show. His dark brown hair was spiked up like usual and his mouth was twisted into a fanged smirk. His perfect features stared back at me through my memories and I lashed out.

He was just out of my reach each time, but I still felt something give way. It was strong at first, like I wasn't doing anything to it, but it eventually started loosening. I kept up my attacks and felt my progress growing with each swipe of my hands. I heard someone yelling and hands grab my wrists and shoulders, but I didn't see anyone. I thought he was messing with my head and kept it up. His evil grin kept growing, making me renew the effort in my attacks. Someone screamed, but it sounded really far away. My ears seemed to hone in on where the sound was coming from and I finally understood parts of what was being yelled.

"Bella!" a voice screamed. "Bella, you need to calm down! He's not here! It's just in your mind!" I couldn't place the voice and I kept going, feeling that I was getting closer and closer to finishing him.

"Bella, it's not him that you're hurting! You can't hurt him right now! He's just in your head." I faltered slightly, the voice's words confusing me. I turned my head back and forth, looking for who was speaking.

"Bella, it's me," the voice said softer. "It's Alice. Please, Bella. You need to stop." Her voice had the sound of tears and I listened intently, needing the distraction from what I was still seeing.

"Relax, Bella. You need to relax so we can try to help him. You're still hurting him, Bella." This just confused me more. Who was I hurting? The only person I saw was him, and his smile was slowly fading into a scowl. I thought back to who had been around me when we started and immediately knew who she was talking about. I couldn't feel his hand in mine anymore, and I gasped in shock.

"Bella, please relax. You need to relax and come back to us. Edward needs you now, Bella. He needs you to relax so you can help him." I hesitated for just a moment before letting my body slump against the floor.

Someone grabbed my hands and murmured softly to me, but I wasn't listening to them. I was listening to the shallow, harsh breathing of the person lying not too far from me. I reached around slowly, and one hand let go. The other kept holding on, so I searched around for him with my free hand. I was still seeing my old room, but his face had finally disappeared when Alice mentioned Edward. I blinked away the image until the murky shadow world I currently lived in reappeared.

I searched for the blurred human shape I had come to look for all the time and found it, my hand reaching Edward's head. We had managed to fall off the couch so that our heads were facing each other. I switched my vision to see if he was in pain, and his aura was a pure, bright white. His soul seemed to be partially floating above him, his arms, legs, and most of his torso seeming to be floating on an invisible breeze. Only the upper part of his chest and his head were still in his body. I felt an involuntary gasp escape me as I ripped my hand out of the grip that had been holding it and pulled myself over to him.

_No_, I thought to myself. _No, no, no…This can't be happening._ I felt the tears flowing freely as I looked down it his face, still unable to see any of the details, but able to see enough to notice his pain. I pulled myself up so that I was kneeling and set his head in my lap. I put my hands on either side of his face and rubbed my thumbs slowly across his cheeks. A hand landed lightly on my shoulder, but I didn't turn away from Edward.

"He is dying, child," Aro's voice said from next to me. My whole body flinched and he squeezed my shoulder soothingly, even though it did nothing to calm me. "His soul has been separated from his body. He, quite literally, is just barely hanging on. But you can save him, Isabella." I tensed and felt my eyes become unfocussed as my mind concentrated on his every word.

"All you have to do is put his soul back, my dear. I know you can see where it has come loose, so all you need to do is make the connections again. All you have to do is will it, and it will happen."

I turned to him, blinking once to refocus my eyes. His soul was perfectly encased in his body, a solid red line outlining his form. Just from seeing how Edward's outline was fuzzy, I could tell the line on Aro had been made because of him being a vampire. His soul was trapped in his body because he couldn't die like a mortal. I looked at the rest of the Cullens to find the same thing, except their outlines were a bright gold color.

"Or you could just change him," Aro said, throwing out the option I thought he was going to say in the first place. I looked at him and he looked back. "It has to happen eventually. He is a human who knows about our kind, and now yours. He has to be changed." I looked down at Edward, but I couldn't imagine him being some kind of blood thirsty monster. I couldn't imagine him with red eyes and fangs sticking out of his gentle mouth. It left me with only one option.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself so that I could focus. I kept rubbing my thumbs gently across Edward's face, which actually calmed me more than my breathing. I guessed it was the warmth coming from his body, letting me know that he was still there, but I shook the thought from my head. I couldn't afford to start wondering about something I could never know for sure at that moment.

I took one more deep breath before opening my eyes and letting my vision tunnel until just Edward's soul and the form of his body lying on the floor were all that I could see. I let my gaze wander from the very top of his head all the way down his body, trying to find the connections that Aro had mentioned. From what I could tell, they seemed to focus on the joints of his body. They had the form of bands or thread, but most of them had snapped from the force of my power. The ends were frayed and stretched out, which must have been the resistance I had felt.

I took the nearest one into my power, which happened to be at his elbows. It was hard to tell what I was doing, but it almost looked like my power had taken on the form of two hands, smoothing out and mending the threads until they were able to be reconnected. I let those go until I was ready with all of the others before moving to his other elbow and continuing down until I got to his ankles. I never physically moved, but my power stretched to where it was needed.

I finished with his feet before turning my attention to getting his soul back where it belonged. I focused my power on the area just under where the connection between Edward's body and his soul broke, trying to push it back down into his body.

It was like trying to move fog.

I could feel myself growing frustrated, my concentration faltering and any progress undoing itself as I watched. My energy was starting to drain as well, fatigue deciding this was a good time to set in. I took another deep breath and pushed everything that didn't involve helping Edward to the very back of my mind.

I started gently running my power over his soul, caressing the very top. It moved down slightly under the pressure, but did not recoil like it had when I tried to force it. It had seemed to bounce right back out as soon as I had managed to make any progress, making me waste my energy. I thought about it for a second and almost smacked myself. His soul was acting just like Edward, which was only normal. I hadn't even thought about it, but, just like his soul, Edward did not respond well to being pushed around. I would have saved precious time and energy if I had stopped to think for just a second, and I mentally scolded myself for it.

I refocused again, continuing to gently coax his soul closer and closer to his body. It started resisting more as I brought it closer, but I took half of my power and used it to wrap the threads around his soul and fuse them together so that they were whole again. I breathed a sigh of relief as the last threads glowed softly as they fused and his soul settled itself back into his body.

There was a flash of light before Edward sighed weakly, everything back in its right place. I sighed again, closing my eyes and letting them shift back to my normal vision before opening them again. I only managed to get them half way open and I could feel myself swaying back and forth. Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice, because Jasper's voice sounded just as I started falling slowly to one side.

"She's going to pass out," he said. Arms wrapped themselves around me gently, pulling me back until I was leaning against his chest. My eyes slowly drifted shut, but I fought to open them again. I felt the weight of Edward's head disappear from my lap and tried to move my arms to find him. They barely moved and Jasper rubbed a hand up and down my arm.

"Shh…" he said soothingly. "He's fine. Emmett's laying him on the couch. He's already waking up." I sighed in relief. I seemed to be doing that a lot, but there wasn't much more I could do without Edward to translate for me. Jasper seemed to feel my half-hearted frustration and chuckled quietly. I heard someone move next to me and felt that hand on my shoulder again.

"You did well, young one," Aro's voice said. I didn't have the energy to turn my head, but he didn't seem to care. "He will make a full recovery. I must warn you now, though. He will wake up at any moment, but he will fall into unconsciousness not long after. He will stay that way for quite a while before his body has fully healed from the ordeal. And you need to make sure this does not happen again. It will not be as easy or as successful the next time. It may not work at all." He seemed to wait for a response, but I couldn't give him one. I amplified my understanding and Jasper got the hint.

"She understands, sir," he said seriously. I saw Aro nod from the corner of my eye and stand up.

"He will probably be out for the entirety of the weekend, and possibly Monday. She will be out for a while as well, but I cannot give you any kind of estimate with her power being able to help her recover," Aro said. Jasper picked me up, one arm under my knees and the other around my shoulders. My head lolled to one side until it hit his chest. There was silence for a few seconds until Alice's voice broke it.

"It's getting harder and harder to see her, but it looks like she'll wake up about the same time he does. From what I can tell, that'll be late Sunday night." No one said anything, letting it sink in. Both of us would be out for almost two entire days.

"I must be getting back now," Aro stated, breaking the silence. "I know they will have questions, so I will tell you the rest of what I know. The person who changed her is what we know as a reaper. He is one of the beings that takes the souls of those who have died and brings them for judgment. Isabella has a bond with this one because he is her sire. The only way to break this bond, and in turn destroy the control he has over her, is for her to overcome the only thing keeping them linked. It is her fear. Once she overcomes that, he will have nothing over her."

I couldn't get my mind to wrap around what I was hearing. I was just so exhausted. Aro's information was filed away in my mind for later when I could think clearly. I heard a soft groan come from my left and knew Edward was waking up. I tried to turn my head towards him, but I couldn't move.

"Be-…" he started saying. His voice faded away. Jasper walked somewhere and I tried to get myself out of his arms, but he held on.

"Stop, Bella. He's fine. There's nothing more you can do for him," he said gently. I knew he was right, but I felt like I had to make sure. Jasper sighed and walked again. He stopped and bent down next to the couch. I could just make out the rise and fall of Edward's chest as he breathed steadily and felt myself relax.

"Go ahead and check him, Bella," Jasper said. I blinked slowly, allowing my eyes to switch over again. The room turned black except for the glow of the souls around me. Just as Jasper had told me, Edward was fine. His soul was still in his body and all of the ties were still there. It was a beautiful sight. I smiled as much as I could and let my eyes drift closed. I didn't fight to keep them open this time, my fatigue becoming too great to fight. My mind wavered between wake and sleep, allowing me to hear what was happening around me.

"I bet this was a lot more eventful than you had expected, wasn't it?" Carlisle's voice said. Aro chuckled.

"Yes, but very informative. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to find someone like her on an anonymous call about a stray vampire. It makes my heart glad to see her in such good hands, though, my friend." Something in what he said confused me, but Carlisle pointed it out.

"This person called about a stray?" he asked, sounding just as confused as I was struggling to.

"Yes. They mentioned a vampire without a clan being involved with a young human. They said the human knew about us, which is why I had to come. They were right on all counts, but the situation is much different than I had been prepared for."

"I see," Carlisle said. "That still does not bring us any closer to finding out who it was."

"No, I'm afraid it doesn't," Aro responded. "But from what I can see, you have enough of a mystery on your hands already." He seemed to think for a moment before speaking again.

"I will do you a favor, my old friend. My brothers insisted on having you change the boy while I was here, but I will be lenient. I will give you one year to change him. That should give you enough time to get him ready, especially since he should finish his schooling before he is changed. I know it is not much, but he needs to be changed, whether you do it now or wait. I have given you the choice instead of forcing it."

"It is greatly appreciated, Aro. I'm sure we will have no problem convincing him, since he has wanted to be changed since he found out," Carlisle said. He didn't sound all that thankful, but he was trying very hard.

"Now I really must end my imposing on you and your family. I was supposed to leave a little while ago, but I am sure Marcus and Caius can handle things on their own for a short time. Ah, well, it seems like my work is never done. Goodbye, my old friend. I hope to see you with an all vampire family the next time we meet." He sounded extremely suggestive, and Carlisle noticed it too.

"You will, Aro. We will take full advantage of your kindness." I don't know what happened next, nothing being said, but the front door opened and closed with a finality that told me Aro had left. I could actually feel the sigh of relief that came with his absence.

There was a squeaking from the couch as Jasper started walking again. A door was opened and the next thing I knew I was being laid down on the bed. I heard someone else approaching and a soft voice that made my still heart flutter.

"Where is she?" Edward's half-awake voice said weakly. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt like lead.

"She's right here, man, and she's fine. Just tired," Emmett said from next to me. I felt the bed lower on my right side and a hand grabbed my own. His warmth spread through my hand as he rubbed his thumb across my palm a few times. I tried to move mine, just to let him know I was there, but all I got was a twitch. It seemed to be enough for him because he entwined our fingers and squeezed my hand once.

"Get some rest, you two. You need it," Emmett said, his voice sounding like he was near the door. Edward said something, but I was drifting further and further into sleep.

A door closed and I felt Edward move around next to me. I was gently pulled onto my side and his arms wrapped around me. He moved my arm so that it was on his stomach and not squished between us and my head was resting on his chest. I sighed contentedly, letting him know that I was okay with this. He chuckled lightly, rubbing my back as I continued to slowly drift off.

"If I could take back everything that happened to you, Bella, I would. In a heartbeat," Edward said, his voice getting heavy with sleep.

I smiled sadly. There was no way for anyone to take back what happened to me. It happened, and now I had to live with it. There was no going back. What I didn't have the chance to tell him before I fell asleep was I would have done the same for him.

**A/N: That…was super long. Well, not really, but it felt like it as I was typing it. So, to answer the question a few of you asked, yes, Edward was seeing Bella's memory with them. You'll have to wait for the next chapter for the explanation, but I will tell you that much.**

**Also, it is going to be a little hard to update next weekend. I am going away on Friday and won't be back until either Sunday night or Monday afternoon. I am going to try to get the chapter done before I go away, but I don't know if I will get it done.**

**The song is a touching one called My Wish by Rascal Flatts. :P**


	16. Learning to Fall

_Learning to Fall_

**EPOV**

I woke up slowly, the blackness that had enveloped me slowly fading away. It was replaced by the soft sunlight filtering through my window as the sun set. I stretched as far as I could, keeping my left arm still since Bella's head was still resting on it, reveling in the feeling until a sharp pain registered in my mind. I looked down at my right hand to see it completely covered in nasty yellow and green bruises. They looked like they had been there for a while and were almost completely healed. I thought I must have hurt it while I was out, Bella's power bringing it to the state it was currently at.

I looked to my left to see the one person I wanted to see at that moment. Bella was still sleeping, her eyes closed and her hair framing her face. Her mouth was set in a slight frown, but it changed into a small smile when I ran my other hand over her hair. This made me chuckle and she sighed, slowly exhaling.

I don't know how long I watched her for, taking in every little detail of her face. I kept going between petting her hair and rubbing my thumb along her cheek, but she stayed asleep. I heard footsteps outside the door, but no one came in. I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling myself start to drift again.

My mind wandered back to everything that had happened Friday, from Bella and me in the truck to Aro's surprise visit. I remembered everything up to when I was pulled out of Bella's memory, but everything was broken up after that. I remembered waking up and talking to Emmett, and then saying something to Bella, but I couldn't get my mind to tell me what it was. I mulled over it for a few minutes, but let it go. All I knew was that it had something to do with her memory. There was nothing else there. I was sure Bella would tell me if I asked her.

The only thing that really confused me was that I had been able to see her memory. The only reason I held her hand was for support, not so that I would be able to see it. The only thing I could think of to explain it is that Bella's powers over souls or whatever Aro said brought me into her memory because I had contact with her when it happened. I couldn't be sure and told myself to ask Carlisle when I got the chance.

I felt Bella start moving around and smiled. She tucked her head under my chin and the smell of strawberries filled my nose. I let my head rest on top of hers, breathing in her scent while she slowly woke up. Her hand closed into a fist around part of my shirt as her other hand went behind my neck so that she was hugging me. I kissed her temple and felt her eyelashes brush against my neck. I pulled back slightly and watched as her eyes fluttered open.

"Good evening, Sleeping Beauty," I said, smiling like an idiot. Bella blinked a few times before turning her head and looking at me. She smiled and kissed the line of my jaw.

"You okay?" I asked, being a little bit more serious. She looked down and nodded. I felt her body tense and her face shot up again.

_What about you? Are you okay?_ She signed hastily. I nodded slowly, wondering why she was acting like that.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why? Did something happen?" I asked, searching her eyes. As usual, they gave nothing but her strongest feelings away. Her body relaxed again with my answer, but not completely.

_Yeah, something did. I…I just don't know how to explain it,_ she signed slowly. I thought about what I heard Aro say and could only think it had something to do with her powers.

"I just remember up to the end of your memory. Do you want to try to start up there?" I asked, tilting my head to the side to get a better view of her face. She seemed to think about it and then nodded.

_Well, I…I was trying to…I was fighting against him. I think I got out of your and Aro's grips, so I was the only one still seeing it. I was attacking him and attacking him, but nothing seemed to be happening. I felt something start loosening and kept going when I started hearing Alice yelling at me. She kept telling me he wasn't there, that he wasn't the one I was hurting, and it confused me. It slowed me down a little bit, but I didn't stop. Not until she told me it was you._

She paused then, letting her eyes close. My brow furrowed in my confusion. I put my hand on the side of her face and ran my thumb over her cheek.

"What are you talking about? You didn't hurt me," I said softly, trying to convince her. She shook her head fiercely and grabbed my other hand. I stifled a gasp, but she heard me.

_See? I did this to you. I crushed your hand while we were going through my memory because I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't separate my memory from what was really going on. And I almost killed you because of it._

Her signing was getting faster, harder for me to follow. Her breaths grew raspy with her sadness and tears started flowing freely down her face. I felt a heat slowly build up in my injured hand and felt my eyes widen as the yellow-green bruising faded before my eyes. She let go of my hand afterwards, letting hers fall on me. I flexed my hand, prepared for any type of pain, but none came. I looked back at Bella, her tears falling onto my arm off her cheeks.

"Bella, you didn't almost kill me. You just hurt my hand, and I understand why. I know you didn't mean it." She cut me off, shaking her head again.

_No. No, I didn't. But that's not it. Edward,_ she paused, opening her eyes and looking at me,_ I almost ripped your _soul_ out._ She stressed the word _soul_, signing it slowly and deliberately. I could see the angst in her eyes and knew she completely blamed herself for everything. I took her hand in mine and kissed her knuckles.

"Did you mean it?" I asked slowly. She shook her head.

"Were you in control of your powers when it happened?" She shook her head again. I smiled against her hand.

"I can tell you're sorry it happened…" I let my voice fade and she nodded vigorously.

"Will you try your best to make sure it doesn't happen again?" She continued nodding.

"Then," I said, putting my newly healed hand against her face, "what are you worrying about so much? Don't you think I knew the danger of getting to know you when I found out you were a vampire?" She closed her eyes and turned her face into my hand so that her lips brushed against my palm. A tear streaked down her face and I wiped it away with my thumb.

"As soon as I stepped into this house a year ago, my life was in the hands of vampires who could have killed me on the spot. There's no more of a threat with me being with you than with any of the others." I dropped Bella's hand on my stomach and put my other hand on her face.

"Bella, do you understand me? I want you to stop beating yourself up for this. It's not your fault, and _we_ are going to move on. Okay?" She opened her eyes and desperately searched my face. As usual, she found nothing. I took one of her hands and ran it along my mouth, letting her know that I was smiling. A small smile made its way to her face, but I could tell she didn't agree.

"_Okay_?" I repeated more slowly. I kissed her hand and the smile grew. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Good."

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her to my chest so that the top half of her body was laying on me. She sighed and tucked her arms underneath her, nuzzling her head against me. I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back lightly. I felt her body relax against me as she lightly drifted off again.

There was a light knock on the door and Esme's head popped around the corner. A smile broke out on her face when she saw the two of us and she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Jasper said you two were awake. He felt Bella start panicking," she said. Her eyes wandered between my face and Bella's before she spoke again. "Is she okay now?" I nodded.

"She started telling me about what happened yesterday and she got worked up. I calmed her down, but she fell back asleep just before you came in," I said quietly, knowing she could hear me. She nodded.

"I don't blame her. What did she tell you? She was half unconscious when Aro left," she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. I recapped everything Bella had said that morning and Esme smiled sadly.

"Yes, all of that is true, but she didn't tell you everything that was said. Her fear of hurting you is very real because the threat of your death at her hands if she loses control again is even greater than that of us. If she loses control like that again, there is a very real chance that you will not survive the next time. Your soul might not be able to be put back and you will die." I saw tears build up in Esme's eyes as they unfocused, slipping to the future she was imagining. She quickly shook herself out of it, remembering that I was still there. I petted Bella's head and nodded.

"I know I'm in a lot of danger just living in this house, but that doesn't mean I should let her tear herself up about something that _might_ happen. All of us know I will die eventually," I said, looking down at Bella's face. I looked up at Esme as she remembered something.

"Aro mentioned that as well. Now that he knows about you, he will force us to change you or do it himself. After what he's seen here, I don't think he will kill you. He is giving us until the end of your senior year to change you or the matter will be taken out of our hands." She smiled sadly at me, but I was anything but depressed at the news.

"I wanted you to change me anyway, so don't look so upset about it. I would have asked anyway." I made a point to look down at Bella and saw Esme smile from the corner of my eye.

"I know you wanted it before, but it was too risky. Now, though, that danger is gone and there is a whole different reason for your change. We just don't like the thought of ending a life that had no chance to really begin." I didn't need to look at her to know she was sad again.

"It's okay, Esme. I've accepted it. And just like you said, I have someone waiting for me to change now. I have a reason to change." I kissed the top of Bella's head and Esme smiled. Just from what I could see in her eyes, I knew she understood how I was feeling. She patted my leg and stood up.

"Get some rest, Edward. Carlisle will be in to check on the both of you later," I nodded, a yawn breaking through as I tried to stifle it, and she walked out. I turned my head towards Bella and quickly fell asleep again.

_**~*~*~*~**_

A door opened and closed softly. I felt something shift next to me and slowly began to open my eyes. Bella's hand was on my chest and she propped herself up to look at the door. I put my hand on her back and followed her gaze. I blinked the sleep from my eyes and saw Carlisle standing just inside the room, Alice trying to hide her smiling self behind him. Carlisle cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him.

"It's nice to see the two of you awake again. How are you feeling?" he asked both of us, moving towards the edge of the bed. I looked at Bella and she looked at me. We both shrugged.

"Fine, I guess. Nothing feels different," I said, trying to elaborate a little. Carlisle nodded and looked at Bella. She moved her hand to where I could see it and signed.

_I'm okay, too. Just a little tired, but nothing like I was before._ I repeated her answer to Carlisle and could almost see his shoulders sag with relief. I looked around for my clock, but Bella's shoulder was blocking my view. Carlisle seemed to guess what I was doing.

"It is six o'clock Sunday night, Edward. Ironically, it is also the exact time Alice said you would both wake up. Not that we ever doubt her," he said, glancing at her. She smiled brightly and skipped over to Bella's side of the bed. She sat down at her feet and glanced between us repeatedly, like she was waiting for something. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she didn't say anything. Bella seemed to feel her gaze as well and turned towards her. Still, Alice said nothing. Carlisle looked at the three of us, clearly confused, and then looked at me.

"Do you want to try to stand? We should make sure nothing was done when you fell off the couch. And it will probably feel good to get up after so long," he said. I thought about it for a second and nodded. Bella moved off of me and wrapped her arms around her pillow. I could see her trying to hide the worry in her eyes.

I threw back my section of the covers and sat up. The room swam for a second, but quickly steadied again. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up all the way. I had to grab the corner of the nightstand and felt Bella's hand on my shoulder, keeping me from falling forward as the room took another ride. She moved so that she was behind me and rested her chin on my shoulder as I waited for my vision to clear itself of the blackness that had invaded it. Her other hand was on my arm, rubbing it comfortingly.

"Get up slowly, son. Stop whenever you feel the room start to sin again. This is just your body getting used to being upright again after so long," Carlisle said from next to me. I nodded once and put my hand on my head. The movement made my vision swim again.

Bella's hand moved from my arm to the back of my neck. There was a warm sensation for a second before my vision righted itself and I was able to look up. I turned to my right to see Bella's face right next to mine. Her sightless eyes moved to my face, but I could tell she couldn't see me looking at her. I put my hand on the side of her face and kissed her forehead. She smiled softly and moved her hand back to my arm. She kissed my cheek before moving her chin from my shoulder so I could stand.

I braced one hand on the bed and kept the other on the nightstand. I stood up slowly, black ringing my vision, threatening to blind me, but it stayed back. I stood up all the way and stood still until every fringe of blackness disappeared and my head felt normal again. Bella stood next to me and put her hand lightly on my shoulder. She looked at me, her eyes searching for mine as they always do. I put my hand over hers and squeezed it lightly.

"Do you feel okay now, son?" Carlisle asked. I looked at him and nodded. I took a few steps towards the bathroom and Bella stayed right next to me, her grip light in case I needed her. My head stayed in place so I walked over and Bella stayed where she was, realizing that I was okay. I shut the door behind me and saw Alice making her way over to Bella with an evil smile on her face. I felt sympathy for her, but I didn't want any part of that conversation.

**BPOV**

I saw the bathroom door close and was immediately assaulted by Alice and her nosey questions. She stood in front of me and I could just barely see the expectant set of her face. Her arms were crossed over her chest and I could hear her tapping her foot impatiently.

"So?" she asked. I cocked an eyebrow at her, confused. She pointed at the bed. "Sit." I did as commanded, not wanting to find out what would happen if I didn't, and willed Edward to hurry.

"So?" she asked again, sounding like she was getting agitated. I still didn't know what she wanted, so I shook my head and threw up my hands. She sighed, frustrated.

"You and Edward, silly!" she said, saying it like it was obvious. I waved my hand at her in a "need more details" kind of motion and she sighed again.

"What's going on? And don't try to deny it! I saw what happened in your truck the other night," she said, wiggling her finger at me. It finally dawned on me and I frowned at her.

"What?" I pointed to myself, and then at her, trying to get her to understand that I couldn't answer her even if I wanted to. And I didn't. She cocked her head to the side and I pointed at my mouth. She looked at me for a few seconds before she got it.

"Oh! Oh, yeah…" she trailed off. I held in a sigh. She seemed to think for a few seconds and then snapped her fingers, making me jump. "I'll just have to ask you yes or no questions." I almost groaned and let my head fall.

"Okay, first question. Do you like Edward?" I slowly raised my head to look at her. I had to hand it to her. She got right to the point. I nodded once and she clapped, jumping up and down on the bed like a child.

"Are you two together?" she asked, her excitement visibly building. I shrugged. She stilled for a second.

"Huh? How don't you know?" she asked. I shook my head and shrugged again.

"You kissed." I nodded.

"You like each other." I hesitated for a second, looking towards the bathroom door, but nodded.

"You are always together." I nodded.

"You sleep together." I nodded.

"You feel comfortable around each other, that much is obvious." I nodded.

"You love him." I froze in place and looked at her. She was smiling deviously and I sealed my fate. I nodded once.

She let out a high-pitched squeal that made me have to cover my ears. She threw herself at me and pushed me don on the bed as she hugged me fiercely. I didn't know what else to do, so I just laid there until she got up and ran downstairs. I propped myself up on my elbows and let my head fall to the side. I sighed once as I thought about what I had just admitted.

I loved Edward.

**EPOV**

The squealing got farther and farther away and I took my ear from the crack next to the door. I leaned against the wall and let my head fall against it. I had heard everything from that one-sided conversation and it left me dazed. I thought I had been the only one, but I wasn't. She felt the same way.

She loved me.

**A/N: Okay, I cannot apologize enough for the incredibly long wait for this chapter, especially since not much happens in it…But I have been incredibly busy every weekend. Some of you may know about the huge snowstorm that is hitting New York right now, and let me tell you we got so much snow that my dog can't walk through the yard anymore… I haven't had school since Tuesday, and that was a 2 hour delay that turned into an early release, so I didn't even go. I know, "So why wasn't this done sooner?!" Well, you see, I am somewhat of a procrastinator. But hopefully this was worth the wait and I will be able to update on time next week. Hopefully.**

**The song for this chapter is Learning to Fall by Boys Like Girls. It doesn't completely fit, but it's good enough.**

**Please review!!!**


	17. Be My Escape

_Be My Escape_

**EPOV**

I walked out of the bathroom and tried to keep my cool, my latest discovery still swirling around in my head. Bella was laid out on the bed, propped up on her elbows and staring at the ceiling with a dazed but happy look on her face. I promised myself that I wouldn't mention what I had heard until the time was right and waited for my voice to stop catching in my throat before getting her attention.

"Hey, Bella, you want to go downstairs? I kind of got the feeling they wanted us," I said, keeping my voice under control. It almost broke when I said her name, but I managed to keep going so hopefully she wouldn't notice.

She brought her gaze to my face and nodded once, her eyes still that cloudy I'm-not-really-here look. I walked over to the side of the bed ad offered my hand. She extended hers towards mine, but missed. I grabbed on her wrist with my other hand and put hers in the one I had offered. She didn't react when I grabbed her wrist, and it set off little warning bells in the back of my mind.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked nervously. I squeezed her and gently once and she jumped, like she was coming out of a trance. She blinked a few times and I could see the battle for focus in her eyes that told me she was looking at me. She nodded once and looked down at the bed.

_Yeah, I'm okay. I just got a little caught up in what I was thinking about_, she signed shyly. I smiled crookedly.

"So, I'm guessing you're not going to tell me what it was?" I asked mischievously. She smiled at me and shook her head. She looked like she was glad that she couldn't blush anymore. I pulled her up off the bed and entwined my fingers with hers. I felt her lean against me slightly as we made our way downstairs and couldn't keep a small smile from showing on my face.

We found Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle sitting on the couch watching the six o'clock news. Alice, Rose, and Esme were nowhere to be found. My stomach growled loudly as we stepped into the living room and the three of them looked at me.

"Esme suspected you would be hungry, so she left some food on the counter for you," Carlisle said, beckoning towards the kitchen with a nod of his head.

"Should I even ask where they went off to?" I asked. All three shook their heads and turned back towards the TV.

I headed towards the kitchen, Bella holding on to my hand when I let my grip loosen. I thought she would want to wait in the living room, but that told me otherwise so I tightened my grip again. I spotted the slices of pizza and grabbed the plate with my free hand. They were a little on the cold side so I popped them in the microwave for a minute. I turned around and leaned against the counter and Bella wrapped her arms around my waist. I let her hand go and loosely wrapped mine around her. She laid her head on my chest and sighed softly when I rested my chin on top of her head. I was just letting my eyes drift closed when the microwave buzzed loudly in my ear, making me jump.

I sighed and turned enough so that I could get my food out without knocking myself out with the door and put the plate on the counter next to me. Bella didn't let go the whole time and I kissed her hair. She smiled up at me and I tentatively leaned down. My lips lightly brushed hers and she didn't pull away, her eyes getting a shy quality to them as she continued to look at me. I leaned farther down and kissed her lightly, giving her room to pull away if she wanted. She leaned into the kiss and I moved my mouth against hers. She did the same and we stood like that in the middle of the kitchen until I had to pull away, my breaths raspy. She sighed and put her head back on my chest contentedly.

I wrapped my arms slightly more tightly around her and took one away. I shakily grabbed a slice from my plate and ate, my hands unsteady from both hunger and lack of oxygen. I stopped shaking as much after I took my first few bites and finished both of them in record time. I scooted the plate into the sink without making it fall in and wiped my hand on the wash cloth hanging over the side. Bella stopped my hand before I could wipe my mouth and placed hers over mine. She moved her lips against mine for a few seconds before pulling away, a large smile on her face. I blinked a few times to make the room stop spinning and smiled back at her, even though I was confused as to why she was smiling.

_You taste like pizza_, she signed, trying not to burst into laughter. I laughed and shook my head before hugging her tightly against me. She wrapped her arm back around me and sighed deeply. I rubbed her back and leaned my chin on top of her head, smiling. My happiness was short-lived, though, when Alice flew in with Rose not that far behind her.

"We are stealing Bella from you, Casanova. I don't care if you don't like it," Alice said quickly. The two of them grabbed Bella before I could protest and had her out the door before I even blinked.

I mentally cursed their enhanced speed and sighed, running my hand through my hair. I didn't know what to do with myself, so I went into the living room and lay down on the couch. The other guys gave me a sympathetic look, but immediately turned back to whatever show was on. I tried to focus on the TV, but my mind kept wandering back to the events in the kitchen. To what happened. To Bella.

I didn't know it then, but as I thought about Bella, I slowly slipped into dreams about her.

_***~*~***_

**BPOV**

I let go of Edward as soon as Alice and Rosalie grabbed me, not wanting to get him hurt by holding on. They ran full speed up the stairs, dragging me by my arms, and locked the door once they set me on the bed. I sat there and put a hand to my forehead, trying to let the blurs settle into their usual positions.

I felt two people sit down next to me and a third was moving a chair near the bed. Alice and Rose grabbed my arms and turned me towards them and Esme smiled from her chair. I waited for them to say something, but got a feeling of déjà vu as they stayed quiet and stared at me. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at them expectantly. Alice sighed loudly, seeming to remember that I wasn't much for conversation.

"Tell them what you told me," she said seriously. I gave her my best blank but annoyed stare and she sighed again, louder.

"Fine. You have to go and make everything difficult," she complained, letting go of my arm. I went to throw them up on frustration, but her question made me freeze. The sad part was that I had already known what she was going to ask, and yet it still affected me.

"Do you love Edward?" she asked. I let my arms fall back onto the bed slowly, my gaze darting between Rose and Esme. I didn't know how they were going to react and hesitated.

"It's okay, Bella. They want to know," Alice said, trying to reassure me. I still didn't answer, trying to find out why I was so scared to answer. My only answers were that Rose was known to be overprotective and that Esme was his mother. Alice took my hand and I made myself nod once. All three of them squealed loudly and I flinched, my hands shooting up to my ears. They stopped once they saw me and started laughing. Esme sat down behind me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders from behind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. This is going to sound very sappy, but we are just so happy you came to be here, especially with the effect you've had on Edward. He's a completely different person from the one we brought home from the hospital a year ago. He's the Edward we'd always thought we'd see. You've brought back the boy he used to be before the accident." Esme paused and I heard her sniff a couple times. I saw a glint near the corner of her eye as the fading sunlight hit the tears building up. I smiled softly and put a hand on hers. She composed herself and continued, moving back slightly so that I could turn towards her slightly.

"You've given him someone else to think about, instead of his restrictions. You are the distraction he needed to get his mind off of everything that was taken away from him. I'm not happy at all about what happened to you, but I am very happy that you decided to stay with us. You gave me the son I was missing and the daughter I didn't know I was." She gave me a crushing hug just then, and I hugged her back, letting her words sink in.

I felt something filling up. Something I had known was there and empty, but had paid no conscious attention to. As I felt Esme's embrace and heard Alice and Rose behind me, as I thought about everything that had happened between me and this family, as I thought about everything that had happened between Edward and me, I felt more and more complete. Like nothing had ever been taken from my life. Like I had never been missing anything from it.

Like I was home.

I broke down in Esme's arms, burying my face in her shoulder. Alice and Rose joined in the embrace, comforting me in the only way they really could. By letting me know just how right my epiphany was. I cried and cried for I don't know how long, but the tears finally slowed and I realized that Esme was talking to me, trying to soothe me.

"It's alright, Bella," she said into my hair. "Everything is okay now." She kept repeating that and a few other phrases until my tears finally stopped. I turned my head so that I was facing away from her and tried to compose myself. Esme rubbed my back and Alice and Rose both had a hand on my leg. I leaned back and raised my shaky hands.

_Thank you_, I signed to them, knowing they probably wouldn't know what I said anyway. Esme surprised me, though, by smiling and responding to me.

"You're welcome, dear, even though it isn't you who should be giving thanks." I gave her a surprised but confused look and she laughed lightly. "I've been watching what you do and what Edward says afterwards. I guess you could say I've been teaching myself. And plus, that one is my favorite." I laughed silently and she gave me another quick hug. She stood up and I felt Alice and Rose stand up as well.

"Come on," Alice said, extending her hands to me. "I think it's time to return you to your other half. Plus you still look pretty wiped." I yawned just as she said that and she pulled me to my feet.

"I don't know whether you're lucky or not, being what you are. You're just like us, but you're also just like humans. I guess it would depend on who you're talking to, huh?" she said. I shrugged and we made our way downstairs. She rattled on about a few things, making me happy she didn't expect much of a response.

We got to the living room and a blurry figure draped across the couch caught my attention. It looked like his arm was thrown over his eyes and his back was half against the back of the couch. I dropped Alice's hand and slowly walked over to him, not wanting to wake him up. I knelt down near his head and ran my fingers lightly through his hair. He sighed and turned his face into my hand. I felt someone come up behind me and Emmett's voice whispered in my ear.

"Do you want to stay down here with him or do you want me to take him upstairs?" he asked. I turned slightly, not taking my hand from Edward's face and pointed upstairs. Emmett nodded once and rubbed the top of my head with his huge hand playfully.

I swatted at him half-heartedly and he laughed quietly before standing and gently picking Edward up off the couch. I followed close behind as Emmett made his way upstairs. I slipped past and opened the door for him and he slowly set Edward down. He gave me a crushing huge before setting me down and closing the door as he walked out.

I laid down next to Edward under the covers and laid my head on his chest. He immediately turned towards me so that my head was under his and my face was almost against his neck. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly to him. I sighed contentedly and lightly kissed his neck before falling asleep in his embrace.

_***~*~***_

**EPOV**

Bella and I woke up the next morning to Esme barging in and telling us to get ready for school. I didn't believe she was serious at first, but the look she gave me when I asked told me all I needed to know. I grudgingly got up, stealing a kiss from Bella while she was stretching, and went over to my dresser. Arms wrapped around me from behind and lips briefly touched the base of my neck. I dropped the clothes I had grabbed back in their drawer and turn in her arms, taking her face in my hands.

"What about a proper good morning instead of all of the teasing, hm?" I said softly, leaning towards her. She smiled and went up on her toes to touch her lips to mine. I leaned down farther, giving her a short kiss on the lips before kissing her forehead.

"That's better," I said, smiling like an idiot. She laughed silently and shook her head.

She let go of me to go get her clothes and I grabbed the ones I had dropped back into the drawer. I didn't pay attention to what they were, only knowing it was a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I went into the bathroom and Bella went into her room to get clothes. I changed quickly, brushed my teeth, and walked back out to wait for her. It wasn't even five minutes later that she walked back in, bag on her shoulder, beckoning me to come on. I grabbed my bag and took her hand, leading her downstairs.

Esme and Carlisle were waiting for us, a plate of French toast on the island counter in front of a stool. They were prepared just the way I liked them, with a little butter and a lot of maple syrup. I sat down on the stool and dropped my bag at my feet. Bella sat next to me and leaned back so she could put her foot against the seat of my chair, her toes just touching my thigh. I put one of my hands on her foot and started eating with the other.

"You should go hunting while you're waiting for me," I said casually, glancing at Bella. Her eyes were starting to darken around the edges. She shrugged nonchalantly, but I could see that she agreed with me. I patted her foot reassuringly.

"Go ahead. I'll still be here when you get back." She nodded and slid off the chair slowly. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek before starting to head towards the door.

"Do you mind if I come with you, dear? All of this stress has kept me out of the woods for a while," Esme asked. Bella shrugged and nodded before beckoning for her to come. Esme smiled and they were out the door before I could blink again. Carlisle laughed at my surprise.

"It's hard to get used to that, isn't it, son?" he asked. I nodded slowly and he laughed again. "Maybe it will be easier once you start being able to do it yourself." I looked down at my half-eaten breakfast and shrugged, quickly finishing what was left. Carlisle stood on the other side of the counter, quiet. I knew he was thinking about how to say something, but I wasn't sure if I wanted him to figure it out before I could leave. I saw him decide and mentally braced myself.

"What do you plan to do?" he asked. I froze and looked up at him, confused.

"Do about what?" I asked, slowly sliding off the stool. He looked frustrated, probably hoping that I would have known what he was talking about. He tried again.

"You and Bella. The two of you are not exactly official, even though you are acting like you are, from what I have seen." That made me blush, thinking about our sudden acts of PDA. I shrugged and walked over to the sink. "You realize that she is very fragile, mentally at least. What happened to her hurt her more than she lets on." I tilted my head to the side and laid my plate on the counter. I turned towards Carlisle, confused.

"What do you mean by that? I mean, I know she doesn't like to think about what happened, but what are you seeing that I'm not?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest, not defensively but just curiously.

"She is always next to you, and is very reluctant to leave when she does. You have to convince her to hunt when she should be deciding that herself. Something happened to her that made her want to cling to whatever or whoever she can get. I cannot tell you for sure that it was having her parents taken from her, but something happened while she was with her sire before she changed that affected her ability to be free with her relationships. Now, she clings because of her fear of losing something or someone she cares about again." Carlisle paused, letting me think about what he said. I just didn't know what to say to it. I shrugged thoughtfully, trying to think about times that supported what he said. There were quite a few, and I nodded once.

"I get what you're saying. And I'm guessing it's also a hint to be careful with her, right?" I said, a small smile on my face. Carlisle chuckled and nodded back.

"Yes that's exactly what I am saying. I know you do not want to hurt her, Edward, but it's easier to not do that if you know what _would_ hurt her. But enough about that. What about school? Are you going to keep using your chair or do you think you are ready to move on?" I slowly put my dish into the sink, my eyes gazing sightlessly out the window.

I hadn't thought about that yet. I figured it would be easier to just keep using my chair. I wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone, but what would happen if someone saw me walking around Forks? What would they say? What would I tell them? The more I thought about it the more I realized what a long-term pain keeping my ability to walk again a secret. I turned to Carlisle, slowly, still thinking.

"Do you…Do you think now…would be a good time to do that? Or should we wait and make it look more progressive?" I asked, looking at the floor. I looked up at Carlisle to see he was thinking, too.

"Well, your teachers already know, so it should not be very hard to explain. Just say that you started walking a while ago, but you used your chair so that your legs would not be over-exerted throughout the school day or something. Your teachers would be able to back you up on it that way," he said. I nodded slowly, thinking that was just about the only way to explain what happened without saying what _really_ happened. He walked into the living room with a nod, telling me it was up to me to decide for sure.

I sat back down on the stool and laid my head on my arms on the counter. I stared out the window for a while, thinking about school and waiting for Bella to come back. My mind wandered to Christmas, which was only three weeks away, and tried to think of something I could get Bella. I had the terrifying thought of asking Alice for some advice, but decided she would be my last resort.

I sighed and closed my eyes, somehow managing to fall into a half-sleep until cool lips touched my cheek. I jumped slightly and Bella's hand landed on my back, keeping me from falling off the stool. I blinked my vision clear and smiled at Bella sleepily. She smiled back and shook her head at me, putting a hand against my cheek. She signed something to me, taking her hand from my back to do so, but my eyes didn't catch the signs.

"You want to try that again?" I asked sleepily. "I didn't catch it." She laughed quietly, but signed again.

_Are you sure you want to go to school? You still look exhausted._ I nodded and put my hand over hers on my face.

"I'm sure. And Carlisle and I talked about it. I'm going to stop using my chair. The teachers already know I can walk again, so we can stick to the story that I started to be able to walk again a while ago, but used my chair at school to make sure nothing happened while I wasn't at home. What do you think?" I asked, leaning back and stretching. My back twitched from the awkward position and I slumped against the back of the stool. Bella dragged the other stool next to mine and sat down so our thighs touched. She took one of my hands in both of hers and laid them in her lap. It made me think of my conversation with Carlisle, but I mentally shook it away.

_Whatever you feel comfortable with, Edward. If that's what you want to do, then do it_, she signed. _We can just keep it in the truck in case you want to start using it during the day. Just tell everyone that you're still weak or something._ I nodded.

"I guess I'll just try not using it. It would be a lot less of a hassle if I could just get rid of it." I squeezed her hand once and she nodded, a smile making its way onto her face. We sat there like that for a little while, Bella starting to play with my fingers. I looked at the clock and sighed just as the others came downstairs.

"Hey, little people!" Emmett said, rubbing his hand on top of my head roughly. He gave Bella a one-armed hug before slinging it over Rose's shoulder. Jasper made an attempt at a wave and Alice's eyes wouldn't leave our hands long enough for her to say anything at all.

"We should probably get going," I said, getting off the stool. Bella followed, not letting my hand leave hers. I twined our fingers together and squeezed her hand before grabbing both of our bags. She wrapped her free arm around my bicep and we walked towards the door. I heard Bella fish around in her pocket for her keys and tugged her over towards the garage.

"Why don't we take my car today? I haven't been able to use it in a while and we might as well finish surprising the entire school," I said, answering her confused expression. I opened the garage door and stood there for a few seconds, staring at the sheet we had thrown over it. Truth be told, I hadn't driven this car since before my accident, almost right after I got my driver's license, so I was itching to take it out.

"You want to help me get this off?" I asked Bella. She nodded and I moved over to the driver's side of the car. She moved up to the front passenger door and grabbed a handful of the dusty sheet. We pulled it off at the same time and the garage was flooded with sunlight reflecting off the silver of my Volvo.

We piled the sheet in front of it and I stood there, arms crossed over my chest, staring. It wasn't the best looking car on the road, but it definitely wasn't the worst. It was a sleek four-door with tinted windows and a small wing over the trunk. It looked like a supped-up sedan, only a lot more expensive.

I grabbed Bella's hand and walked over to the passenger side, grabbing the keys off the wall as I did so. I opened the door for her and she got in, smiling shyly. I closed her door, put our bags on the back seat, and walked over to the driver's side. I put the key in the ignition and turned it, smiling happily when the car immediately started up.

I backed it out of the garage slowly and stopped the car once I was far enough out. I hit the button to close the garage door and turned to see Emmett giving me an ecstatic thumbs-up. He ran over and I pulled the lever that opened the trunk so he could put my folded chair inside. Alice and Jasper headed out first in her Porsche and I followed, Emmett waving me on. He followed behind, probably to make sure I still remembered how to drive. That was something I wasn't going to forget. I glanced over at Bella, who proceeded to put her hand over mine on the shifter and thread her fingers between mine.

"You should feel very honored," I said, faking arrogance. She turned her head towards me and lifted one perfect eyebrow. I chuckled despite myself and tried to keep up the charade, failing miserably.

"I used to never let anyone in my car. It was my pride and joy. You are the first, madam," I said, squeezing her fingers. She laughs silently, but plays along.

_Then, dear Sir, I am very honored indeed._ Both of us start laughing again and she leans over. She places a light kiss on my cheek before leaning back and sighing as she looks out the window. I leave her to her thoughts as we pull into the parking lot, people already pointing out the foreign car.

I felt my stomach flip at the thought of all of the eyes that were going to be staring at me today and felt Bella squeeze my hand. My anxiety immediately dropped to a tolerable level, but I could still feel it threatening to blow up again.

I parked in between Alice and Emmett, whose Jeep was so tall with its overly large tires that I could only see the bottom of the door, and sat there. My hands were starting to shake and I dropped the keys as I shut off the car. I felt Jasper trying to help calm me, but his usual non-prodding effects were having almost no affect.

Bella pushed her arm rest up against the seat and sat down on the console, her legs towards the back of the car. She took my face in her hands and turned my head until I was facing her instead of staring out the windshield. She ran her thumbs over my cheeks soothingly, but I could still feel myself shaking. She took one hand from my face and started signing to me.

_I'm right here, Edward. You are not doing this alone. I'm going to be right here for you, okay?_ She asked, running her fingers through my hair.

I took what had meant to be calming breaths, but they sounded more like hoarse choking ones. She kept running her thumb over my cheek as I tried to calm myself and I closed my eyes, just focusing on her. My breathing slowed down as I focused on her thumb on my face and her fingers in my hair. I let myself lean into her hand and sigh. I opened my eyes to find her smiling sympathetically at me.

_You are not alone. We will make it through today together, just like every other day. We can always leave if it gets to be too much._ She signed slowly but forcefully. I nodded once and she gently placed both of her hands back on my face. She leaned towards me and touched her lips to mine. We kissed for a few seconds before she leaned her forehead against mine and smiled at me. I kissed one corner of her mouth and then the other before she placed one more chaste kiss one my lips. She leaned back enough to get her hand between us where I could see it.

_Are you okay now?_ She asked. I thought about it for a second and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She nodded once before getting back in her seat to get out.

I picked the keys up off the floor and got out, moving around to her side. I heard gasps as I held her door, people finally realizing just who the driver of the mysterious vehicle was. Bella got out and smiled at me, taking my hand and shutting the door. I reached in to the back seat and grabbed our bags, slinging mine over my shoulder. Bella took hers and threw it over her shoulder, her fingers holding the strings and her arm bent upwards.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rose joined us and we walked across the parking lot, the others giving me concerned looks. I just nodded once, letting them know I was okay. We made it to the sidewalk before a shrill voice erupted across the lot.

"_Edward?!_" Tanya practically screamed. I turned to see her standing next to her car with Lauren and Jessica. She started making her way towards me when Bella moved in front of me. I couldn't see Bella's face, but from the look on Tanya's, she definitely wasn't smiling at her.

Tanya stopped and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Bella. Bella tilted her head to one side and did the same, her pose looking much more graceful than Tanya's. I wrapped my arms around Bella's waist from behind her, lacing my arms through hers. She moved her hands to my arms and I rested my chin on her shoulder. I could see Bella's face now, and the evil grin that was there would have scared the I-don't-even-know-what out of me if I had been on the receiving end. Tanya gave one last half-hearted glare and walked back to her friends, trying to be smooth when she almost fell in her heels.

I held in a laugh and gently turned Bella back towards the school. She complied grudgingly, putting an arm possessively around my waist and locking on to my belt loops at my hips with her fingers. I draped my arm across her shoulders and we walked into the school, Bella's actions solidifying that she would be there for me when I needed her.

The six of us talked in the hallway for a while before we split up to our classrooms. Bella and I headed for Biology and were the first ones there. Mr. Banner smiled brightly when he saw me walking in, but he didn't comment. I couldn't have been more relieved for that.

Bella and I took our normal seats at the back and my gaze unconsciously moved towards the front, near the other side of the room. My eyes stopped on Lucas's seat and I shuddered, not wanting to imagine what would come out of his mouth once he got the chance. Bella must have felt it and slid her chair over until the two were touching. She wrapped her arms around one of mine and leaned her head on my shoulder. I sighed and kissed her forehead.

I watched as the rest of the class filed in, all eyes immediately going to me. I just stared out the window, trying to act like I didn't notice. I felt my face grow hotter as an uncontrollable blush made its way up my neck. Someone walked close to our table and sat down in front of Bella. I looked up to see Angela smiling at me.

"It's nice to see you up and about, Edward. I'm sure you're enjoying it after so long," she said shyly. I gave a half laugh.

"You have no idea. Makes you appreciate learning how to walk at an early age. You know, one where you don't even know of the existence of things like embarrassment," I said, waving my hand like it was no big deal. Angela laughed, still looking reserved. Her gaze moved to Bella for a second, who was staring at the door.

"I can't even begin to imagine," she said slowly, shaking her head. The bell rang and Angela turned around. Bella sighs deeply and closes her eyes, turning her head towards me. I looked over towards the door to see what made her so relieved and felt my whole body relax when I see the empty chair in the front of the room. Lucas wasn't at school.

_Nothing could possibly make today any better now_, I thought to myself, smiling as I turned towards the front of the room as Mr. Banner started his lesson. Bella shared my joy and kissed the back of my hand, sitting up straighter so she could pay attention.

**A/N: Well, I missed my update day again last week, and I apologize. The weekend got a little hectic and cut into my writing time, and then my 18****th**** birthday was Tuesday, so I lost more time there. To try to make up for that, this chapter is 15 pages long. It's not much more than usual, but hopefully it makes up for it! X-)**

**The song is Be My Escape by Relient K. Please review!**


	18. The Beach

_The Beach_

**EPOV**

The day couldn't get any better? I wasn't kidding. It only went down from there.

Lunch had to be the worst part of the entire day. Everyone sees everyone else who comes in the door, which meant I was destined to be stared at as soon as the doors opened. And I was.

My grip on Bella's hand tightened immensely as soon as I saw all of the people looking at me. I saw her smile out of the corner of my eye and she put her other hand on my upper arm comfortingly. I didn't even bother going towards the lunch line, knowing I wouldn't be able to eat whatever was on the plate anyway. I could feel the others looking at me worriedly as I sat down at the table, but no one said anything about it.

Bella made some sort of gesture with her hand, but I wasn't paying enough attention to tell what it was. Jasper got up and walked away and came back a few minutes later. I could feel eyes burning into my back as I sat there and didn't notice the tray in front of me until Bella nudged me. She gestured towards it with the hand that was holding mine and I shook my head once, getting nauseous just thinking about food. She put her hand on the side of my face and turned my head towards her. She looked at me pleadingly and I sighed wearily, not able to look away.

I turned as far as she would let me towards the tray and grabbed the small apple. I felt my stomach turn as I looked at it and slowly raised it to my mouth. I took a small bite and chewed slowly trying to get my stomach to settle before I swallowed. Bella kept her hand on my face the whole time, not letting look anywhere else but at her. I swallowed and took another bite, my stomach staying in one place as I focused only on Bella and her hand on my face. I finished the apple without heaving and set the core on the tray. Bella smiled brightly and lightly kissed my mouth.

_Thank you_, she signed to me. I smiled and shook my head in wonder. This girl just managed to make me forget about the hundred-plus people staring me down so that I could eat without fighting my stomach. I tightened my grip on her hand and she sighed, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I finished the rest of the food on the tray and went to throw it out. I stood up and turned around to see an ocean of faces looking at me, staring at me. I found the nearest garbage and almost ran over to it, throwing out the Styrofoam tray and running back without looking away from the floor. I sat back down and Bella leaned on me again. I heard the hundreds of hushed conversations start up and felt my pulse quicken.

A pair of footsteps approached me from behind and I turned half way around. Bella put her hand on my shoulder protectively and I could feel her bubbling anger through her touch. I put my hand over her other and noticed Mike Newton walking over towards our table. He stopped behind me and I turned in my seat, only half facing him. Bella moved her hand from my shoulder to my knee.

"Hey, Cullen. I see you're up and moving again," he said, pointing out the obvious. I nodded once, stiffly. He waited for me to say something, but I kept silent.

"So, are you thinking about trying out for the team again? We could really use the old Edward," he said, a stupid smile appearing on his face. I felt my face drop and Bella's grip on my knee tightened. I didn't say anything for a few seconds, my mind unable to string the appropriate words together. Finally, four came out of my mouth.

"You are an asshole," I said quietly. Confusion flooded Newton's face and he didn't say anything, just managing to sputter like an idiot. I shook my head slowly back and forth, unable to believe what he had asked.

"Seriously, man? I just started walking again and the only thing you are concerned about is if I'm going to try out for _spring sports_?" My voice rose in pitch until I was almost screaming at him. He just stood there staring at me.

Bella slowly stood up, making Mike take a step back with the look on her face. She pointed right at the middle of his face and then over his shoulder, towards where his table was. I had no idea how she knew that, but she was in no mood to be questioned. Mike gave her a dumb look before looking back at me and not keeping his mouth shut when he should have.

"So? Are you or not?" I jumped up from my seat and grabbed Bella's upper arm, seeing her hand slowly shape the form of a fist. I moved in front of her and stared down Mike, who was an inch or two shorter than me.

"Go away, Mike. Now," I said slowly. He looked at me strangely, like I was some kind of crazed animal, and backed up a few steps. I kept staring at him and heard the others stand up as well.

"Lucas was right about you, you know," he said in a last ditch effort to leave with dignity. I slowly tilted my head to the side as Bella's body stiffened behind mine. He smiled menacingly, seeming to know that he had hit a nerve.

"He called you a fake. Everyone always talked about how it was such a shame to lose you from the sports teams. 'You were an asset' the coaches said. Yeah, right. You only ever went along with what everyone else did. We thought you'd jump at the chance to get your old life back and yet, here you are. The people you hang out with are different, and so are you." He shook his head a few times.

"You're wrong, Mike," I said as he went to turn around. "I never fit in with your group to begin with. I was the new kid. I didn't know where I belonged or who my real friends were. I know now, though. All of you crawling back to me once you see that I can walk again, the same people who abandoned me when it happened in the first place, none of you are friends." I turned around and gestured to the others behind me before turning back.

"These guys? These are my friends. They helped me get through what made the rest of you turn away from me. And now that I'm better, they are still here. Not like the rest of you. Now do me a favor and leave me alone. Leave all of us alone," I finished, feeling Bella wrap her arms around my arm and lean against me. I heard the others moving around and suddenly found myself surrounded by them.

Mike looked hesitantly behind me, his gaze flashing back to me every now and then before he turned and walked away. I waited until he sat down at his table before I sighed and slumped lightly against Bella. She made it look like we were sitting down at the same time and gently lowered me to the chair. I wrung my hands, trying to stop them from shaking, and Bella leaned her head against my shoulder. I could feel her tension through her grip on my arm and guessed that it was from Mike mentioning Lucas. I still didn't know the connection between them, but whatever it was, it scared her. I just wished she would tell me.

No one said anything for the rest of the lunch period and no one else approached our table. Bella slowly relaxed as I petted her hair and sighed loudly when the bell finally rang. I chuckled and we stood up, saying goodbye to the others until later.

Bella and I made our way through the rest of the day, not really saying anything but letting the other know we were there. We held hands as we walked to our classes and I kissed the back of her hand as I held it in class, our fingers intertwined. There was the occasional glance towards us during class, but no one said anything, not even the teachers. I didn't know how they found out, but they seemed to have heard.

The final bell rang and everyone filed out. Bella and I took our time, mostly because of me, and the halls were clear by the time we made our way towards the parking lot. I dropped my stuff off at my locker and we opened the doors to see the others waiting. Emmett was leaning against his Jeep, Rose standing next to him, and Alice and Jasper were sitting on the hood of her Porsche. I smiled and Bella took my hand as we walked across the parking lot towards them.

"So? How was the rest of the day?" Alice asked. I shook my head.

"As normal as it could have been. All stares and mumbled conversations," I responded, shrugging. She smiled and nodded once, apparently approving of the outcome.

All of us got in our cars and headed home, making a line with my car in the middle like before. Bella put her hand over mine on the shifter like she did before and there was a smile on my face the whole ride home.

We pulled into the driveway and the others went inside while I parked the Volvo in the garage. I left it uncovered in the hopes that I would be able to drive it more often, now that I could move my legs again and led Bella into the house. I grabbed a granola bar out of the cabinet and leaned up against the counter. Bella came over and wrapped her arms around my waist, laying her head against my shoulder and sighing in contentment. I quickly finished the bar and looked outside the window over my shoulder.

The sun was just beginning to set and the sky above the house was a blend of pink, purple, and a darkening blue. The moon was not quite visible yet, but I guessed it was going to be rising very soon. I looked down at Bella and tilted my head to one side slightly. She felt my gaze and looked up at me, her eyes never looking at just one spot.

"You want to go for a walk?" I asked, realizing too late just how random it sounded. She smiled.

_Sure_, she said, nodding once. I smiled back and moved to throw out my wrapper.

Bella had other ideas, reaching up to my face and turning me towards her. She lightly touched her lips to mine before turning away and running at top speed towards the door. I stood there for a few seconds before a smile slowly broke out across my face. I shook my head and threw out my garbage before making my way towards the door.

"Grab a coat, Edward. It's getting really cold out there," Esme called from the living room. I rolled my eyes but grabbed one anyway, not wanting a repeat of the last time I took a walk through the woods.

"We'll be back later, Esme," I said, walking towards the door again.

"Alright, dear. I'll try not to worry about you," she said, laughing. I just shook my head and shut the door behind me.

I stepped off the porch and looked around for Bella, expecting her to be standing around somewhere where I could see her. She wasn't in front of the house, so I started walking towards the woods, thinking maybe she was in there. She was, but not where I expected her to be.

I stepped just under the tree line and she jumped down right in front of me. I took a step back in shock and tripped over a bush, none too gracefully landing on the ground. Bella kneeled down next to me and took my face in her hands, her eyes asking me if I was okay and apologizing at the same time. I sat up and put my hand over one of hers.

"I'm fine, Bella. That was just the last place I expected you to be," I said, looking up into the trees. She shook her head at me before pressing her lips to mine, not immediately pulling away like she did before. She pulled away a few seconds later and stood up, offering her hands to me to help me up. I grabbed them and she easily put me back on my feet.

I brushed off my pants and Bella pulled a small stick from my coat, her hand hitting it as she went to wrap her arm around me. She went to do it again when I grabbed her wrist. She looked at me, confused, but understood when I threaded her arm around my waist under my coat. She leaned her head against my chest and I moved my coat so it was partially around her.

We walked for a while, neither of us saying anything. We took our time, not rushing anywhere or to get back to the house, just basking in each other's company. There were a bunch of jar flies out for so late in the year, their peeping the background music of our walk.

It was getting dark a lot faster when we silently decided to turn back. The moon had made its appearance a short time before, its half light creating spotted shadows through the trees. The stars were twinkling brightly in the clear twilight sky, lending their own light to aid us back. We broke into the clearing around the house when Bella stopped and turned to me.

_Do you think you can run yet?_, she asked, holding her hand away from her and signing slowly so I could catch it in the half light. I shrugged, not having even tried.

"I don't know. I probably could. It's been a while and I can walk just fine now," I answered. She nodded.

_Except when there are bushes around_, she signed, smiling slyly. I laughed.

"That's only when there are vampires jumping out of trees right in front of me," I retorted. She laughed silently and hugged me before leaning back again.

_Do you want to try running to the house? It's not that far and I'll run with you just in case something happens_, she signed. I shrugged again, feeling ready to take on the world after the night I was having.

"Sure, why not? I have to try eventually," I said. She laughed again and took my hand, our palms facing each other.

I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to relax myself. Bella waited until I was ready and I squeezed her hand, letting her know. We took it slowly, starting off at a slow jog. My legs held up and I almost laughed out loud. It felt so good to run again, and I slowly sped up. Bella easily kept up, looking like she was out for an evening stroll.

I broke out into a full run and ran all the way up to the house, jumping the steps and landing on the porch. Bella stopped next to me, bent over with silent laughter. I hugged her, pressing her face against my chest without letting her even stand up. She wiggled her way out of my embrace and hugged me, my chest rising and falling with my labored breathing. A grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her mouth, quickly having to break away for oxygen.

"Thank you," I whispered, staring at her. She smiled and quickly kissed me again.

We walked inside and I shut the door behind us, my legs feeling like jelly after the exercise. We walked upstairs and Bella kept glancing behind her, like she knew something might happen. I made it to my room without collapsing, but I had to sit on my bed as soon as we got in there. My legs felt like they couldn't hold me up anymore and I was okay with it for once, knowing it was because I had done something I hadn't been able to in a long time. Bella threw me a pair of my sweats and went to change in the bathroom.

I managed to change without falling on the floor and Bella came out just as I got in bed. She got in next to me and laid down so she was facing me. I wrapped my arm around her and she laid her head on my chest. I kissed the top of her head and fell asleep faster than I ever have before.

_**~*~*~*~**_

Our walks became an afterschool ritual, Bella not letting me miss one no matter how bad the day had been. The others never said anything about it, just to have fun or make sure we come back. They joked around about it, but they let us have our time, even if it wasn't exactly desired by both of us. She literally picked me up and put me outside if I refused, but I always thanked her afterwards. They proved to be the distraction I needed from the events at school, which were still just whispered conversations and staring, but they got aggravating after a while.

It was Friday night, the same week that we started the walks, when things changed. Usually, everything happened just like the first time, minus my fall. We would walk for a while and then, once we reached the clearing, we would run back to the house. Just by the end of the week I could feel my legs getting stronger. I didn't shake as badly when we got to the house and my breathing wasn't as labored.

This time, I could tell that Bella was a little antsy. She was fidgeting a lot while we walked and it seemed like we were going too slow for her. I smiled and kissed the side of her head. She looked up at me questioningly, but her eyes moved around more than usual.

"Go for a run, Bella. I'll keep walking in this direction. I can tell you want to, so don't deny it," I said.

She smiled shyly, but nodded once. She pecked my lips and was off, her speed making the trees sway a few seconds after she passed them. I shoved in my coat pockets and kept walking, not really paying attention to how long it had been, just the direction I was going. I let my mind wander, but froze when I heard the worst possible sound. A wolf howled loudly, not twenty feet from where I was, and was quickly joined by others. And the background noise that just made things worse? The soft sound of waves crashing against the shore.

We had walked all the way to La Push beach, the one place the Cullens couldn't go because of a certain pact made years ago. I had told Bella I would keep walking in this direction, and the howling finally clicked in my mind.

She had crossed the border, and they found her.

I ripped my phone out of my pocket and ran forward, trying to see any sign that Bella had gone by this spot. There was nothing. I pushed one on my speed dial and it started to ring. Esme answered the phone.

"We're coming, Edward. Alice just saw you calling us. What's going on?" she asked, not wasting time. I told her about letting Bella run and then where we ended up. When I mentioned the wolves howling, I could almost feel her tension through the phone.

"They shouldn't hurt you, Edward, but be careful anyway. We are not exactly on good terms with the wolves, but they usually leave humans alone. Try to find Bella, but do not approach the wolves if you find them first. We will be there as fast as we can," she answered. I closed the phone, hanging up, and continued running.

I followed the sound of the waves and the wolves, my heart beating out of my chest. They started making some weird yipping sound, and I made myself go faster. I broke through a line of bushes into a clearing, almost running into the biggest wolf I had ever seen. It growled at me, but turned its head back towards the center of the field.

All of the wolves but one were walking around the outside of the clearing. None of them paid attention to me after the first, concentrating on the figure in the middle. I tried to break through the line, going to run through the gap in between the wolves, but they growled loudly, making me backpedal.

I saw the wolf in the middle slowly approach the figure, snarling and snapping its jaws. The figure crawled backward on the ground, trying to get away from it. Her hand landed on her hair once and she slipped fully onto her back. The wolf took that opening to stand above her, growling and snarling right in her face. I took a deep breath and charged through the line, right past a wolf that growled at me like the others. All of the wolves froze and turned towards me, different levels of confusion and anger visible in their large eyes.

"Leave her alone," I said loudly, keeping my gaze on the wolf standing over Bella. She turned towards me quickly and the wolf stamped one of its feet right next to her face. She flinched and it seemed to laugh at her. One of the wolves from the line turned and trotted into the woods, a tanned boy a year or two younger than me coming out a minute later.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, kid. Leave and don't mention to anyone what you saw here," he said, contempt in his voice. He had an arrogant look on his face and I glared at him.

"It's not me who doesn't know what they are dealing with. I know you have a pact with the Cullens, I know you are werewolves, and I know they are vampires. I know what I a supposed to. It's you who needs to get a clue," I spat. The wolf directly behind me snarled loudly, but I didn't move. The boy waved at it to calm down, his gaze never leaving my face.

"Who are you?" he asked slowly, turning his head to the side like a confused dog.

"That doesn't matter. Let her go and we'll leave. I didn't realize how close we had gotten to your property and I forgot to tell her about it," I answered, trying to keep my voice from cracking. I saw Bella attempt to get up and the wolf slammed one of its paws down on her stomach. She struggled to get out from under the crushing weight for a few short seconds before she just held it, trying to ease as much of the pressure as she could.

"Ease up a little, Sam," the kid said to the wolf. It glared at him and pushed harder. I saw Bella try to scream out, but all of her breath had already been forced out of her body.

"Let her go!" I yelled. The wolf seemed to smile at me and extended its claws, the sound of them piercing Bella's skin like screeching metal. I ran over to her but the kid caught me half way, throwing his arm around my neck.

"She's a leech, kid. She has to die," he said in my ear matter-of-factly. I shook my head fiercely.

"No! She's not like that! She doesn't kill!" I gasped, trying to get his arm from around me. He laughed cynically.

"Well, maybe there's something you need to know about her. Haven't you heard about all of the recent animal attacks and people going missing in the woods? Both are signs of vampires on the hunt. Maybe you should ask your friend who she had last." The wolf on Bella slowly kept digging its claws into her and she continued to fight to get away. She slowly got weaker and weaker, but she didn't stop.

"That wasn't her! You've got the wrong person! She's never even drank from a human before!" I yelled. The kid let go of my neck but grabbed my wrist so I couldn't run over to Bella.

"She's really got you fooled, doesn't she?" he asked rhetorically. He looked over my shoulder at Bella and smiled evilly. "I'm really surprised she hasn't started screaming yet. I bet that hurts a lot."

"She can't!" I screamed at him, wrenching his arm. It didn't seem to do much, but he turned to me.

"Oh really? And why is that?" he asked. His voice made him sound like he was talking to a little kid.

"She's a mute, you idiot! That's why she can't scream! She can't see either, which is the only reason why all of you were able to get her so easily! Now, let her go!" I was getting angrier by the second. Bella had stopped fighting by this time and looked like it was taking all she had just to keep him from crushing her.

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" he yelled at me, his grip on my wrist tightening. "Vampires can't be blind or mute! They see better than we do and _love_ to talk about all they have accomplished."

"Just look at her eyes! They never change size! If she could see, they would!" I continued to scream at him, wanting more than anything just to hit him and get out of there with Bella.

He slowly walked over, dragging me along behind him, and stopped next to Bella. Her eyes were half closed and her breaths were shallow. The wolf's claws were completely in her at this point and she was bleeding profusely. The kid let go of my hand and shoved me down.

"Open her eyes," he said harshly. I glared at him and turned to Bella.

I placed my hands on each side of her face and raised her head to my lap. I brushed her sweat-matted hair back away from her face and she slowly opened her eyes. They darted back and forth as she tried to see, but stilled when she realized who it was. She stared straight up, going right above my head. The kid stared at her eyes, glaring down at her, before turning and walking away.

"Let her up, Sam. He's telling the truth about that, at least," he said.

The wolf glared at me and slowly took his claws from Bella. She convulsed as they left her body and completely collapsed once his paw left her torso. I looked down at her body, at the damage that was there, and almost burst into tears. The kid didn't let me think about it though, firing questions at me.

"Who are you? And why do you care so much about it? It's a vampire! They kill, not love! And how is it blind? That's impossible!" he said, pacing back and forth.

"It's the prophecy, Jacob," a voice said from behind the wolves. "_There will be one, one different from the others, whose power will be the humanity that should have been lost…_"

**A/N: Well, once again, I apologize for the longer than usual wait. Hopefully it was worth it, but you will have to let me know. I'm sorry for the cliffy, but this is already 3 pages longer than usual. It will also make it easier for me to start the next chapter.**

**I also have a new poll up. It's a story I am thinking about doing after both of my incomplete stories are done. Please vote and let me know if you would read it!**

**The song is The Beach by All Time Low. Only the name fits, not the lyrics.**

**Please review! I loved getting all of those new story alerts, so let me hear what you think now! It's much appreciated! X-)**


	19. Dreams Only Last for the Night

_Dreams Only Last for the Night_

**EPOV**

The wolves parted and Emmett warily walked into the clearing. He was carrying an older man, who I guessed was the one who had spoken. He was tan like the kid, Jacob, and had long black hair tied back with a piece of leather. There were crows feet around his eyes and his legs hung limply, like mine used to.

"What are you talking about, dad?" Jacob said. "I've never heard that before." The old man smiled sadly.

"That's because it has been forgotten over the years, especially since no one could figure out who or what it was talking about. The vampires completely ignored it, and we thought it was going to be one of us." His gaze moved to Bella. "Apparently we were wrong."

I looked down at Bella, her eyes closed and her body shaking. He was right. She was a human with the powers of a vampire. She was bleeding just like a human, feeling pain, and knowing she was seriously injured. I looked up at the old man, and then at Emmett. He jerked his head behind him and I saw the others standing outside the clearing, looking yearningly at me, but unwilling to upset the wolves between us.

"Why is she so important?" Jacob asked, not whining so much anymore. The old man's smile immediately turned to a frown.

"There is a Reaper that has been disrupting the natural order for the past few centuries. He has been taking the lives of those who were not ready, and for no particular reason. He seems to enjoy the pain of the families that are left behind." He paused for a second before continuing. "What she is supposed to do is rid the worlds, both human and supernatural, of him and his rampage." I looked down at Bella and back up at him.

"How is she supposed to do that?" I asked shakily. He smiled sympathetically at me.

"While she's like this? She won't. We need to get her some blood before she falls into a coma."

Just as he finished his sentence, Bella's whole body started shaking violently. Her eyes shot open and rolled back into her head. Her wounds started bleeding faster and faster, soaking my lap and the ground around us.

"Bella," I whispered, letting go of her head, but not moving my hands. She convulsed for another few seconds before her back arched and she fell limply to the ground. Her wounds continued to bleed, but she didn't move.

"She needs blood," Carlisle's voice said from above me. I looked up to see the others standing around us, looking down worriedly at Bella. Rose and Jasper ran off, I guess to go get as much as they could find.

"They won't get enough in time. Animal blood won't heal her fast enough," he said sadly. I looked down at her, knowing what he was saying, and felt my heartbeat quicken. The only way to save her was to give her mine.

I quickly grabbed his hand and dragged his nail across my wrist, trying not to make a sound. A thin red line appeared and a single drop of blood ran down towards my elbow. I put my other hand under her chin and gently opened her mouth. I put my wrist against her bottom lip, letting the blood fall in. Her body shook once and I put my wrist against her mouth, seeing her fangs slowly start to elongate.

I waited a few seconds, letting the blood run into her mouth before I took my hand from her chin and squeezed my wrist. I felt it run faster and she jerked her head, one of her fangs finding its way into my wound. I held in a cry of pain and slowly moved my arm until I felt the other. My breathing turned ragged, but I let a small smile break out on my face when I felt her pull. Her lips moved against my wrist, making a seal around the wound. She pulled again and my breath hitched.

I looked down at her wounds and gasped. All the blood that had not yet touched the ground was flowing back into her. I felt like I was watching something rewind, all of the drops forming one long line that led right back into her. She kept pulling, eventually having enough energy to hold my wrist to her mouth by herself. Her grip was just enough to keep it there, but not enough to feel like she wasn't going to let go.

She pulled a few more times before I started getting lightheaded. I felt my head start falling forward at the same time that Bella's lips slowly left my arm, her fangs gently leaving my wound. The weight of her head left my lap and her hands moved from my wrist. I felt someone pick me up, but my eyes drifted closed. My stomach was flipping like crazy and I had to do everything I could not to hurl on whoever was holding me. I was set down gently and propped up against something.

"Come on, son. Stay with me," Carlisle's voice said. I struggled to open my eyes and saw him kneeling next to me. He gave me a small smile and put his index and middle fingers against my neck for a few seconds. He nodded slightly to himself and he started looking around for something, holding my wrist so it was level.

"Here," a voice said from above me.

I looked up to see the kid, Jacob, holding a shredded shirt. Carlisle nodded in thanks and took it, laying my arm down and ripping it into strips. Jacob took my arm and held it up while Carlisle wrapped it, tying it tightly. I leaned my head back and looked straight up, finding out it was a tree I was against.

"Sit back and relax for right now, kid. You did good," Carlisle said, putting his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and sighed.

Carlisle kept pressure over my wound, but it didn't hurt as bad anymore. I guessed that I was getting numb to it, but I didn't know how that could happen. I sighed again, not able to think clearly at that moment. I heard movement and a thump somewhere in front of me, but couldn't get my eyes open again to look. I drifted into a half sleep for a little while before I was awakened by someone picking me up again. Someone with small hands laid my wrist across my chest, maybe Alice, and kissed my cheek.

"Take them back to our house. They can rest there until they are well enough to travel on their own," the old man's voice said. The person holding me paused for a moment before they started walking.

I continued to drift in and out of sleep, any step unlike the others awakening me. Two steps sounded like they could have been on wood, like steps, but I passed out again too fast for my mind to decide.

When I woke up again, my head was cushioned by something soft and my feet were propped up. My head had fallen to the side and my arms were resting on my stomach. The pressure of the wrap around my wrist was still there, but the pain was almost completely gone. I opened my eyes slowly and turned my head, immediately squeezing them shut as my head spun.

"Don't move too fast just yet," someone said from somewhere near my head. I sighed and went to put my hand over my eyes. My arm felt like lead and I gave up with another sigh. The person laughed.

"Don't worry. It'll get easier soon enough. Your body just needs to replace the blood you lost." The voice was male and there was something in my head that was telling me I knew who it was, but it wouldn't give me a name.

The one thing that did manage to stir up my memories was the word blood. I sat up quickly, smacking my wounded wrist on the side of whatever I was laying on, and my stomach clenched. I leaned to my right, the side I hit my wrist on, and hurled the small amount that had been in my stomach. There was a sound like something hitting the bottom of a bucket and I started falling, unable to get my bearings and right myself.

"Hang on there, son. I did warn you," the voice spoke, an arm catching me across the chest. I opened my eyes and saw a bucket sitting on the floor, a mess that I could have done without seeing inside it, and the side of a couch under me.

"Where is she?" I asked, my voice no more than a hoarse whisper. I was leaned back onto the couch and Carlisle's face came into my view. He his eyes looked tired, his body not able to betray that fact. He brought a chair next to the couch and sat down.

"She is upstairs. We were not sure how she would react to you being in the same room right after she had fed from you, especially since I haven't changed your bandages yet," he said quietly. I slowly looked down at my wrist, the bandages bloodied but more so in two spots.

"Is she okay?" I asked. He looked at me worriedly and I felt my chest tighten.

"She is still alive, but she has been constantly fighting to stay so since you fed her. You gave her enough to survive, but she is having a tough time. Rose and Jasper were able to get three deer for her and she completely drained them, but she lost almost all the blood she had. The real problem is that I do not know how she heals. The only thing I have been able to figure out is that she needs blood in her body. If she does not, then she dies. That is what we are focusing on right now. Billy, Jacob, and the others are trying to see if they can find anything on her in their old texts, but so far the only reference is the prophecy," he explained all at once, his eyes looking at his hands in his lap. I released a breath I hadn't known I was holding and closed my eyes.

"Do we know if she will wake up?" I asked, not opening my eyes. I heard him sigh and squeezed my eyes shut tighter.

"I truly do not know. I do not think she will die, but waking up is another matter. She may be in this coma forever for all I know. We need to find out more before I can say anything for sure." He rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand and closed his eyes, looking like he had a headache. A girl came in the room just then, her skin as tan as Jacob's and her hair just as dark. She had a glass of water in one hand and held it out to me.

"Here. Figured you might want to rinse your mouth out after that," she said not looking at my face. She seemed to be focusing on my wrist, but I didn't care. Carlisle helped me sit up more, being careful to do so slowly. I took the water, mumbled a thank you, and drank down the whole glass. I looked for a table to put the glass on and she offered to take it, still not looking directly at me. Carlisle seemed to be able to tell what was about to be discussed and walked out. I smirked.

"You don't understand?" I asked. She looked at me then, tilting her head to one side.

"Huh?" I looked at my wrist and back at her. She looked away then and I smiled, feeling my eyelids start to get heavy.

"You don't understand why I did it." She shook her head.

"No, I don't. You helped something that lives to kill others to sustain itself. You let it bite you so that it wouldn't die, like it should have. No, I don't get it," she said her face slowly turning stone-like as I watched her.

"So, you have never felt such strong feelings for someone that you would be willing to give your own life to save theirs? You have never felt so in love with someone that you value their life above your own?" I asked quietly. Confusion crossed her face, but she didn't say anything.

"I love Bella more than I have ever loved anyone. She gave me my life back in a way I never thought anyone could. I thought I had lost everything worth living for and the first day I met her, she made me think differently." I shrugged. "Maybe you need to have something like that before you can really understand what I did." Her face slowly softened and she nodded a couple times.

"I still don't think I would be able to do it for one of them, but I may be a little biased. I can't help that though. It's in my nature to hate them. But maybe if it was someone else, like someone from the pack…I think I would have done the same. You're right. Maybe you even need to have it happen before you understand…" She let her thoughts trail off and turned to go.

"Get some rest. You still look exhausted." I nodded once and yawned, causing her to shake her head and let a small smile break through. She offered her hand and I took let, letting her take some of my weight so I could shift down the couch and lay down. She walked away and I closed my eyes.

"Leah," I heard her voice say from behind me. I smiled tiredly, and half-opened my eyes.

"Edward," I responded. She let the small smile come again and inclined her head before walking away. I closed my eyes and was asleep in seconds.

_***~*~***_

I was able to sit up the next day, but I had to take it slow at first. My head still spun, but it settled after I closed my eyes and sat still for a few seconds. I wasn't able to stand without almost fainting until even later, but I wasn't in much of a rush. Bella still hadn't woken up yet.

Leah checked in on me throughout the day, but she never stayed to talk long. I didn't see much of anyone else either. Esme or one of the others brought food every now and then, since I stubbornly stayed on the couch the whole day. I only left for the bathroom and immediately went back. The T.V. was on for a while, but I couldn't concentrate on it so I turned it off.

I laid on the couch for the rest of the day, letting myself doze off every now and then. I jerked awake any time someone walked in or by the door, my heart racing until I found out they weren't there because of Bella. My interest completely disappeared and I would lay back down with a sigh, answering any questions with as little words as possible.

Esme brought me a sandwich at one point and looked down at me sadly. She set the plate down on the coffee table and sat down on the corner of it. I was staring at the ceiling, my vision unfocused. She put her hand on my arm and I turned my head towards her.

"You are a mess, Edward," she stated. She shook her head when I didn't respond. "I understand how you must feel right now, but moping isn't going to help her at all. You can't just shut down because she isn't here." I slowly shook my head.

"I don't know what to do, Esme. I feel like I'm losing everything all over again, except this time it's in slow motion. I have to sit here while she slips away and I can't do anything about it. At least with my parents, it was over before I knew they were even gone," I whispered, feeling a single tear streak down my cheek. Esme kneeled down next to the couch and wiped it away with her thumb.

"Oh, Edward. You're not going to lose her. She wouldn't let herself be taken that easily. You just have to keep your faith in her will to fight and have the patience to wait until she wins. She _will_ win, Edward. Don't doubt that." Esme smiled softly and kissed my forehead before getting up and walking out.

I laid there thinking about what she said for a long time, finally sitting up and eating once I realized how dark it had gotten. I rubbed my forehead with my hand and felt how dirty I had let myself get. I sighed and stood up, making my way towards the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and undid the bandages around my wrist. Two angry red spots were still there, but the skin had already healed over the punctures. I got ointment out of the medicine cabinet and set a fresh pack of gauze on the counter with the old bandages and got in the shower.

I let the warm water pound at my back and hissed in pain when it hit my wrist. I took a quick shower after that, trying not to let the water touch it at all. I got out and wrapped a towel loosely around my waist. I ripped open the gauze and flinched when it twisted the newly healed skin. I squeezed the ointment tube over them being careful not to touch them with the end. I laid the gauze over it and slowly pushed it down, stopping as soon as the first shot of pain hit my wrist. I laid one end of the bandage on the gauze and pressed it against my stomach. I got the first wrap done, after dropping it a few times and finished it up quickly. It wasn't as tight as Carlisle had done it, but it wasn't bleeding anymore so I left it like that.

I got dressed in the clothes I had had on before, seeing as though none of us had expected to be staying in someone else's house, and used my good hand to shake the water out of my hair. I walked back to the living room and sat down on the couch. I sighed deeply and laid down, staring at the ceiling for a while until I finally managed to drift off again, Bella finding her way into my dreams in a way I never would have expected…

_Everything was white. Everywhere I turned, all I saw was white. There were no sounds or smells, nothing but white. I looked down at myself and saw that I was in the same clothes I had fallen asleep in, right down to the wrap around my wrist. I started walking in the direction I was facing when I heard something. It sounded like a woman's voice, but not one I had heard before. It was bell-like, the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. But I still felt like I knew who it was._

"_Only a little while longer…" she said, her voice like an echo. I looked all around for her, but there was still just empty space everywhere._

"_Hello?" I said quietly, feeling weird breaking the silence._

"_Not much longer now…" she said, sounding like she didn't even hear me._

"_Where are you?" I said louder, starting to feel my heart rate pick up. "Why can't I see you?"_

"_Stop panicking and focus. It's not your eyes that you are seeing me with," she said. I didn't know what she was talking about, so I just closed my eyes and listened to her voice as she talked._

"_It will be some time tomorrow, but I'm not exactly sure when. It was very hard for a while, but they helped me a lot. Without all of you, I would have died right there in the woods. I don't know how to thank you for what you did."_

_Bella's image exploded into my mind and I opened my eyes. She was standing just a few feet in front of me, her clothes the same ones she had been wearing but without the new rips and holes I knew were there. Her head was down and she had dark circles under her eyes, but she looked a million times better than the last time I saw her. I took the few steps separating us and wrapped my arms tightly around her. I felt hers snake around my waist and turned my head towards her neck._

"_You don't need to thank me," I said quietly. She raised her head but didn't open her eyes. "You just need to wake up." She half smiled and opened her eyes. I felt my own widen when I saw them. They looked just like everyone else's. The molten gold I had come to look for was much less and her eyes moved as she looked at me. She must have realized what I noticed and laughed lightly, me burning the sound into my mind so I wouldn't forget it. I left my arms around her, but pulled back enough so that I could see her._

"_This is my mind's image of me. I can talk and see because I had been able to before," she said. 'It's almost like being normal again, except for the fact that it's only in my head."_

"_Do you know why you can't see or talk? Is it just because of how you changed?" I asked, still speaking quietly. She smiled sadly and nodded._

"_It's only an idea and I'm not even sure it can really happen." She shrugged. "It's the only thing I've been able to come up with, but I have my doubts about it." I nodded once._

"_What about your healing?" I asked. She tilted her head to the side, confused. "Carlisle was trying to figure out exactly what was going on with you, but the only thing he knows is that you need blood in your body or you die. Do you know anything else?"_

"_Well, he's right about that, but I don't know how much else I can tell you. I'm not one hundred percent sure about any of this. I've been finding things out as I've been going along. The only thing I could tell him is that the blood that's in me is the blood I've drank recently. It gets used up when I use my powers or just by every day things, like with you and food. It just lasts a lot longer. I have to feed when I feel myself slowing down. It means I'm running low on energy, which is blood. That's all I've been able to figure out just yet," she finished, shrugging._

"_That's okay. It's still something," I said, resting my chin on the top of her head._

_We stood like that for a while, not saying anything but being in the company of each other. I started feeling something, like something pulling on me, and realized I was waking up. I pulled back slightly and looked at Bella. She smiled sadly as she looked back at me. She brought her hands up to either side of my face and gently pulled my head down to her._

"_Just a little while longer, Edward," she whispered, her lips brushing mine as she spoke. Then she pressed her lips to mine. We kissed only for a few seconds before she faded away and I woke up, full of more hope than I had had in a long time…_

**A/N: WE HIT OVER 200 REVIEWS!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!! …Sorry, go a little excited there… And I'm actually updating on time! *GASP!* I can't believe it either!**

**Anyway, this was one of the slower chapters, but that's why I added the end, there. Hopefully it was worth it. Oh! And there was a question about who was alpha for the last chapter. There is going to be a conversation in the next chapter that will answer your question. I don't want to just give things away!**

**The title of this chapter is the sub title of the song Stay Awake by All Time Low. I think all of us can understand why I picked that instead of the actual title for this chapter…**

**So far it looks like the poll story is a go, but only 9 of you have voted! Please give me your opinion! If it's not going to be something a bunch of you are interested in, I'd like to know before I go and put it up just to not get any reviews. And it is NOT an A/H story, just in case I forgot to put that…**

**Please review! :-)**


	20. Need You Now

_Need You Now_

**EPOV**

I might have woken up with more hope, but I also woke up missing Bella one hundred times more. I still felt where she had been in my arms and had pressed her lips to mine, but now I realized that it wasn't even really her. A single tear built up in my eye, but I quickly blinked it away.

I laid there for a while, letting myself doze off every now and then. I tried to entertain myself with the T.V. again, but it couldn't keep my attention. Nothing seemed to. I eventually got up and went to the kitchen. No one was up yet and the Cullens were nowhere to be found, so I grabbed a clean bowl and spoon from the strainer next to the sink. I ate a bowl of cereal and put the dish in the sink before anyone woke up or came in.

I went back into the living room, but I didn't sit down on the couch. Instead, I walked over to one of the windows and looked outside. I hadn't realized it the whole time I had been here, but the living room faced the ocean. The sun was rising, tinting the water a soft pink or red, and the waves gently rolled onto the beach. There was a huge piece of driftwood a ways down the beach, where the forest almost touched the sand, and I unconsciously decided to go out to it. I only realized what I was doing when I found myself making a sandwich in the kitchen and heading for the door.

I mentally shrugged and walked out carrying my lunch in a Ziploc. There was a soft, chilly breeze blowing off the ocean and I lifted my shoulders higher to block my ears. I walked slowly, not really having anywhere to go. I thought I was heading towards the log, but my eyes wandered to the cliff coming out of the forest a ways away from me. I decided to just go, not caring where I ended up.

The trek to the cliff took about an hour at my pace, the trees thick at first but quickly thinning as I got closer. When I broke through the trees, the sun was half way up the sky. The ocean had lost its red-pink tint and the breeze was warmer. The air smelled like salt and I could hear the waves brushing the cliff face below. I kept walking until I was about five feet from the edge and sat down, cross-legged.

I let my thoughts take over after that, letting them start and having others take over, mentally watching as they crashed into each other over and over again. I let my mind wander, my vision unfocused and blurry. I didn't think about anything important, and couldn't remember the last thing that had crossed my mind when I bothered to try.

I watched the sun reach its peak and slowly start its decent back down to the horizon. Sometime during that period I ate, but I couldn't say when. It was just a motion to go through. My body told my mind I needed food, so that's what I gave it. There was no thought from me, just motion.

The wind was getting cold again when my leg started cramping and I straightened them out. I brought one knee to my chest and crossed the other back under me. I rested my chin on my knee with my hands underneath, my fingers threaded together. I didn't notice anyone nearby until the kid from the clearing sat down next to me. Jacob, my mind decided, and I just went with it.

"Hey," he said, sounding slightly uncomfortable. I turned my head slightly, mostly just turning my eyes, to look at him. He was looking at me strangely, but I couldn't get myself to care. I turned back before I answered.

"Hi." My voice was short, but my mind was occupying itself with memories from just a few days before. The ones where he and his friends had almost killed Bella. It must have shown on my face because he shifted uncomfortably.

"I…I'm sorry. You know…about what happened." He paused, but I didn't respond so he continued on.

"I don't like putting it this way, but killing vampires is what we do. When vampires start coming around is the only reason any of us is able to change. We protect our kind and the humans. What you did…it's never crossed any of our minds that a human would ever do that, or know what they are and still be human. Or alive." He paused again, seeming to try to find where his train of thought was going. I still said nothing.

"I talked to Leah yesterday, after she talked to you. She told me everything you told her and I think you're right. The reason we can't understand is because it's never happened to us. I mean, Sam is married, but there's never been a situation where he's actually had to decide between his life and hers. Everyone knows he would give up his own, but the fact that he's never had to do it…maybe that's what makes all the difference." I turned my head and looked at him, seeing a look of desperation on his face. It looked like he was begging me to say something, maybe so he wouldn't feel guilty. I just turned my head back towards the cliff edge and nodded once.

"Why didn't he listen to you? Why didn't he let her go sooner?" I asked, barely moving my mouth to form the words. He sighed and put one hand over his eyes.

"The pack isn't…exactly as…organized as it's been in the past. Sam was the alpha, but then we found out that I had inherited the position. I really didn't want it, so we are kind of sharing it at the moment. The only problem is that Sam was used to being the boss. When he changes, he tends to forget our agreement. We try not to boss each other, but I'm supposed to have power over him. He got a little riled up and decided he wasn't going to listen." I felt my gaze narrow.

"He came up to me while we were looking for information. He said the recent attacks and then finding a vampire kind of got to him." He paused, seeming to be thinking of something else to say. I was hoping he wouldn't, but of course he did.

"None of us have heard of this prophecy since we were told the story as kids. We never thought anything of it, though. It was just a campfire story to us. _'There will be one, one different from the others, whose power will be the humanity that should have been lost. They will vanquish the rebel, only by destroying what links them. The blood promise will be fulfilled and the worlds will settle once more.'_" He gave a half-laugh. "It's not much of a story, but dad would always make something up and use that as the ending. He kept telling us only the ending was real, but we never believed him. I guess we should have." He stopped again, bending his knees so he could rest his arms on them. I just kept looking at the ocean, watching the sun's slow descent.

"Why have you been sitting out here all day? I thought you'd be in the house until she woke up," he asked quietly. I didn't do anything for a few seconds, but then I shrugged. He waited for some other response, but I didn't give any.

"I think you know. I think you just don't want to say it. You can tell me, you know. I owe you at least that much after everything that's happened." I still didn't respond, letting my vision focus and blur over and over again. He waited for a while, not saying anything else. After a while, it looked like he was going to get up to leave.

"I had a dream last night," I whispered. He stopped and turned back to me, taking his previous position. My vision blurred and I kept it that way as I summarized everything that had happened, everything she told me, how she could see and talk, and how it felt like I had actually been holding her. I told him that she said she would be waking up today.

"Why does it seem like you're moping when she told you she would be waking up?" he asked, voicing my own subconscious question. I shrugged and slowly shook my head.

"I don't…I don't know. It makes no sense, but I can't get myself to care about anything. I think seeing her and feeling her near me, and then waking up and knowing she really wasn't there at all…that it could have just been a dream that I created by myself…I woke up with so much hope this morning after that, but it just evaporated as soon as I was fully awake. I think it just made everything worse, knowing that I could be that desperate." I never cleared my vision the whole time, and still didn't when I was done.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so pessimistic. After everything that you've found out about her, does her being able to find her way into someone's dream seem so far-fetched?" he said, turning his head towards me. I thought about it for a moment, pushing my useless thoughts back where they came from, before I answered him.

"If I'm too optimistic…I take the risk of losing her for a second time. I already feel like I lost her once. I don't want to go through that again," I whispered, not trusting myself to speak aloud. We stayed quiet for a few minutes before he broke it.

"Why does it sound like you've lost more than just her?" he asked, trying, and failing, to be as non-intrusive as possible. I answered anyway, not caring what I told him anymore.

"I have. My parents, and up until I met Bella, my legs." I paused there and glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He had a confused look on his face and looked like he was fighting with himself not to ask.

"We were in a car accident. Both of them died at the scene and I was paralyzed from the waist down. Bella gave me back my ability to walk." I paused before I continued. "And she was my first real friend outside of the Cullens." Jacob nodded slowly.

"So you've been sitting out here waiting to see what's going to happen?" I shrugged.

"I guess I wanted to distract myself from what was going on. I haven't really thought about anything all day. I've just been sitting here," I said quietly. I shivered slightly as a stronger breeze blew off the water. The sun was almost completely down and I could feel myself getting tired again. Jacob stood up and dusted himself off.

"Well, I don't really want to leave you here alone, but I've got patrols to do. You're safe here anyway. If anything shows up we'll know about it." I shivered again, a little more forcefully. "Maybe you should start heading back to the house. It's only going to get colder now." I nodded once after a second and he offered his hand. I took it and he pulled me up.

"I will, I guess. See you around," I said. I stuck my hands in my pockets and turned towards the house. I turned back around quickly, thinking of something. "What is that blood promise thing you mentioned? Do you know what it is?" I asked. He shook his head.

"That's something only she knows, and only she can tell you." He shrugged and I nodded. I was half way back when I heard a loud sound, like something being ripped apart, and whipped around.

A huge russet colored wolf was sitting where Jacob had been, its gaze trained on me. He turned his head to the side, like he was confused, but straightened it and lowered it half way to the ground before running into the woods. There was a loud howling and a few others answered, the noises sounding like a greeting. Everything quieted down and I turned, heading for the log instead of the house.

The wood was smooth and curved up at the end farthest on the beach. There was no sign of bark or splinters anywhere on it and I sat down, using the curving spot as a recliner. I put one leg up on the log and let the other one fall off the side onto the sand. I let my head fall back onto the wood and sighed as the breeze grew a little more constant. I hiked my shoulders up and crossed my arms over my chest.

The bottom of the sun touched the horizon when the wolves started howling again. I felt something, a tightening in my chest, like something had changed as they howled. I just pulled both of my legs up to my chest and sat there.

I asked myself why I was being so pessimistic about Bella's recovery and let my mind sift through its contents to find an answer. The only one that popped up was a memory from the hospital before Carlisle offered to let me live with him and his family. The one where I overheard them talking about telling me that my parents had died.

It had been the first time I was really awake after the accident, and I couldn't remember anything from the accident to there. I knew I had woken up before then, but Carlisle told me I had been on so many pain meds that it was very likely that I would never remember that time. But I knew I had shut down after that. Hearing the news the way I did and then finding out about my legs in the same moment had killed me inside. Knowing Bella might be gone was like hearing that all over again and it brought back the old me. The pre-Bella me. The depressed me.

I sighed again and rested my forehead against my arms, which were now draped across my knees. I still had that…_feeling_ in my chest, but I ignored it. Bringing back that memory had made things worse, but it did bring something else up. It made me think about Danni and her mom, how they were doing after so long. I promised myself I would ask Carlisle after everything was done about her surgery, and maybe where she ended up.

I jumped as a hand landed lightly on my shoulder and a shiver went down my spine. I opened my eyes slowly, waiting for whoever it was to say something, but they didn't. I started raising my head and their hand left, sliding off my shoulder like a feather. My heart rate sped up as I looked at who was with me, my gaze starting at the person's feet and moving up. I got to the blood spatters on their jeans and my heart sped up even more. The slashes in the shirt and the large blood stains that wrapped around towards the person's back made me think my heart was going to stop. What made my gaze shoot up to her face were the dog tags around her neck. They were blood-covered, but there was no mistaking who it was.

Bella stood just a foot behind me, dark bruises under her golden eyes. Her shirt was shredded, but there was white beneath it. She was covered in blood and whatever the white was had dried blood in lines going down it. I guessed it had been Carlisle trying to stop her from losing any more, and that they were bandages.

I slowly unfolded myself and sat up, not able to take my eyes off her. I stood up, but she didn't move. She had a sad look on her face, and I could see her eyes searching for mine in the dimming light. I took the step separating us and she tensed, her eyes turning careful and wary. I felt my heart fall into my stomach as I reached for her cheek with my hand and she flinched. She didn't move away, but she flinched.

"Bella," I whispered gently, sadly. She closed her eyes tightly and a tear escaped. I gently wiped it away with my thumb while tears welled up in my own eyes.

"Bella, what's wrong?" She shook her head fiercely and turned away from me. I let my hand fall to my side and my chest tightened. "Bella…" I whispered again, my voice threatening to break. She slowly turned back to me, but I didn't reach out to her again.

_I could have killed you, Edward. Why did you do that?_ She signed slowly. I shook my head.

"Is that why you're acting like this?" I asked gently. "That's a risk I've been taking ever since I said yes to living with Carlisle and then others," I said, trying with all my might to get her to see it. She shook her head again.

_Why?_ She asked again. I sighed and ran both of my hands through my hair.

"Instinct," I whispered, mentally kicking myself for such a stupid answer. "I saw you were hurt and I knew the only way I could help you was to…do that. So that's what I did. I wasn't going to just let you die, Bella." Tears were streaming down her face now, and the sight of them made me feel like someone was trying to rip my heart out. I wanted to take the step between us and wrap my arms around her, but I didn't. Not while she was like this. I was going to fix this and then I was never going to let her go. Bella was shaking her head again when I got myself out of my thoughts.

_That's not the only reason_, she signed. _You know it and so do I._ I sighed again, getting more frustrated.

"What do you want me to say, Bella? Any way I put it is going to make it sound like I've been using you, and you know that's not true. You helped me get Tanya off my back before we really even knew each other, you listen to me when I rant on and on about nothing, you are my only real friend besides the others, you gave me back my legs, and…" I paused, my voice failing me. She looked at me, her eyes soft and patient, but she still wasn't moving anywhere near me. She was still tensed, but not like she had been. I tried to compose myself, taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly, while she waited. I backed up and sat on the log and she stayed where she was.

"I felt like it was happening all over again," I whispered. "Not at that time, but later, when I thought about what happened, I felt like I was losing everything I had all over again. I wasn't thinking about anything but saving you when I did that, and I don't regret it at all. I could never regret saving you. If I had warned you in the first place, it never would have happened anyway. My stupidity almost got you killed, so the only thing I could have done was give my life to make up for it."

I was looking at the ground, watching my tears change the color of the sand as they fell. I didn't look up when I heard her coming towards me and I closed my eyes when she kneeled down in front of me. I put the heels of my hands in my eyes, trying to push back the tears that threatened to pour out. She slowly wrapped her hands around my wrists and pulled them away from my face. The tears immediately fell as she laid my hands on my knees. She tentatively placed her hands on either side of my face and wiped at my tears. I opened my eyes as she gently raised my head. She let go with one hand and kept the other on my face so I wouldn't turn away.

_You felt the same way about me that you did about your parents?_ She signed slowly. I didn't answer, my breath hitching as her question brought the feelings back. The look on her face told me I still hadn't answered with what she knew she should be hearing, and I knew what I was hiding, but her next statement shocked me.

_I know why I would have done it if I was in your place. And I also know it's the real reason you saved me_, she signed. My breath hitched again as she leaned closer.

_It doesn't have to do with what you've done for me, even though that helps, nor would it be natural instinct._ She leaned forward until her mouth lightly touched mine and then pulled back. My vision swam with the contact, but I blinked until it cleared.

_I would do it because you are the best friend I have ever had, and because I love you with everything I am_. With that, she pressed her lips against mine and put her free hand back on the side of my face. It took me a few seconds to respond and it felt like even shorter than that before I had to breathe.

I turned my head to the side slightly, gasping for breath. Bella stood up and sat next to me, not taking her hands from my face. I put my hands over hers.

"I love you too, Bella. I do," I kept repeating, showering her face with small kisses while she smiled.

I gasped and froze when my vision changed with hers, showing a small, glowing line connecting the two of us. I looked at Bella and saw a glowing outline around her, seeming to be where the line started. I looked down at myself and saw the same. The line seemed to go from my heart to hers, braiding itself with the line coming from her in the middle. I looked up at Bella to see her laughing silently, the silver glow filling her body. Her eyes were completely black a silver dot where her pupil should have been. She took her hands out from under mine and my vision faded back to normal. I looked at her, confused, and she smiled.

_Remember when I saved you? When I had to put your soul back?_ She asked. I nodded, almost forgetting about that experience. _That's what I had to use to do it. I can see souls, like I just showed you._ I nodded in understanding.

"What was that line then?" I asked, turning on the log so I had one leg on each side and my back was against the bend in the log again. Bella did the same, moving closer so that our knees touched. She took my hand in her and shook her head, the smile still on her face.

_I haven't seen it there before, but I think you know what it is, Edward, or at least what it means. Are you just wanting me to say it?_ She asked.

"Hmm…Maybe," I said slowly. She smirked and crawled up onto my lap, sitting sideways. She kissed my lips as my hands caught her hips, keeping her from sliding off.

_It means, my love,_ she started, pulling back so I could see her hand. _I have found my soul mate, and you, yours._ I smiled and chuckled, shifting her until she was laying on me. She was on her stomach, her face just under my chin.

"I thought so," I whispered, bringing my face to hers. I felt her smile as I kissed her and my heart leapt with joy.

We stayed there most of the night, Bella rolling onto her back so she could see the moon rise. We found out it was easier for her to see at night, the blackness and the bright light of the full moon the kind of contrast that made her feel like she could actually see. Everything but me, that is, but it was a start. It was around midnight before we finally went to the house, Bella so exhausted that I carried her. She let it slip that she wasn't supposed to have left the house at all, but Alice and Rose helped her sneak out. I just laughed, took her in my arms, and we slept on the couch, my arms around her and her head on my chest. I hadn't slept that good in what felt like a long time.

**A/N: Another successful update! For the third week in a row! I can't believe it!!! But I hate making you guys wait when you are always telling me how much you like it, so I guess you could thank yourselves for this.**

**So, Bella is awake again. If it was a little confusing, I will clarify it right now. She was insecure after her first time drinking from a human, especially since it was from him. That's basically it, but feel free to ask questions if you have them. I wasn't even planning on that happening just yet, but there it is.**

**The song for this chapter is Need You Now by Lady Antebellum. Like it, even though it is being played waaaaaay too much on the radio. Apparently they haven't learned that that's how songs get ruined… Oh, well…**

**Please review! :)**


	21. All These Lives

_All These Lives_

**EPOV**

I woke up slowly to Bella tracing my lips with her fingers, her own lightly taking their place every now and then. My heart sped up when I felt her fingers leave my mouth again and I pressed my lips against hers when I felt her lean towards me. The hand that was still against my face flinched, but she didn't pull away. We kissed for about a minute or so before I slowly leaned back against the arm of the couch, making the kiss linger. She sighed and rested her chin on my chest. I had somehow managed to get on my back and she was on her side, her legs wrapped around mine. She was half on me, which was why it was easy to tell when she was leaning towards me.

"Good morning, love," I whispered. She smiled shyly.

_Good morning,_ she signed. I was happy to see that the dark spots under her eyes were gone and she didn't seem as worn down as she had when we came back to the house. Her hair was a little mussed from sleep and the wind, but she looked a lot better than she had yesterday. She looked like she was thinking about something, so I asked. Her answer made me smile and chuckle.

_You told me you loved me. Was that a dream or did it really happen?_ I took her chin in my hand and kissed her lips.

"I did and I do. It really happened," I answered calmly. She kissed me again and leaned back, a smile on her face. "I did dream about you before you woke up, though. Was that your doing or my imagination?" It was her turn to smile.

_I told you I was going to wake up, didn't I?_ I chuckled again as she kissed the corner of my mouth. She rested her head on my chest and sighed contentedly.

We fell back to sleep after a few minutes and I was woken up again by Alice and her squealing. I leaned up, keeping my arm around Bella so she wouldn't fall, and saw Alice rushing down the stairs. She skipped right over to the couch and sat down lightly on the coffee table.

"You guys are too cute together!" she squealed. I smiled and shook my head, feeling Bella laughing against my chest. Alice must have woken her up too. "I knew you would be perfect for each other!" I just sighed and closed my eyes as more footsteps came into the room. I felt Bella move to see who it was, but I didn't look.

"How are you after your little escapade, Bella?" Carlisle's voice said from behind the couch. I felt her nod and opened my eyes to see Carlisle leaning over the back of the couch. I glanced at Bella and she looked at me, signing for me to translate.

"She's a lot better today. She doesn't feel as exhausted and her wounds feel almost completely healed. They don't hurt anymore either." I paused and looked at her incredulously. "You were in pain and you still left the house? Why did you do that?" I asked, trying not to sound angry.

_I had to make sure. I had to know why you did what you did. Plus, it wasn't that bad_, she answered, shrugging one shoulder. I shook my head and sighed, not pressing on with the subject since there wasn't anything I could do about it now. I felt her rest her chin on my chest again and looked at her. She was smiling softly. I remembered what Bella had told me in the dream and looked up at Carlisle.

"Bella told me some things about her healing," I said. He nodded and looked at me expectantly. I told him about how she showed up in my dreams, how she was able to see and talk, how she has to have blood in her body like he had first thought, and how the blood in her body acts the same as food does for humans.

"It's slowly used up and she starts feeling slower when she needs to feed again. Her powers and just every day actions use it up," I finished.

"That would make sense," the old man's voice said from somewhere behind the couch. I couldn't see him, but my eyes bulged when he came around near the table in a wheelchair. I sat up slowly and so did Bella, moving so she was sitting next to me. He offered me his hand and I took it slowly, having trouble taking my eyes off the chair.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced," he said. I turned my head and watched as a whole bunch of other people came in, Jacob, Leah, and the rest of the Cullens among them. I counted five that were new to me.

"My name is Billy Black." I nodded once and tried to get my mouth to form my name, but it was like I was frozen, my attention solely focused on the one thing I never wanted to see again. He noticed my inability to talk and saved me from making a fool of myself. "All of us already know who you and your friend are." I closed my mouth and nodded once. He turned towards the others and pointed them out as he said their names.

"You already know Jacob and Leah, but next to them are Quil, Embry, Sam, Emily, and Seth. Everyone but Sam's Emily are werewolves," he finished. I nodded to everyone, finally able to look away from Billy's chair, but once again froze. This time, my gaze stayed on Sam.

He was standing slightly behind the others, Emily standing half in front of him. I felt my gaze narrow slowly and he dropped his to the floor and away from me. He was older than Jacob and the others. I looked at Emily then, not being able to help but notice the horrible scars marring her face. It looked like she had been slashed. She smiled apologetically at me and I gave a small smile back, looking away so she wouldn't think I was staring. Billy cleared his throat and I turned back to him, seeing his gaze on Sam rather than me.

"Sam has something he would like to say to the two of you," Billy said slowly, his eyes not leaving Sam's face. Sam looked at the floor until Emily took his hand, his head shooting up so he could look at her. She nodded once reassuringly and he looked at us, but mostly just me. He took a single step forward so that he was standing right alongside Emily before he said anything.

"I know it doesn't really make up for anything," he started, talking slowly, deeply. "But I'm truly sorry for hurting you…her…both of you. I should have listened to Jake when he told me to let her…Bella…up," he said, fumbling with his words. "I know what it feels like to see the one you care the most about get hurt." He took Emily into his arms slowly, hugging her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and she smiled. Bella squeezed my hand and I turned to her.

_It sounds like Emily and I have something in common_, she signed. I gave her a confused look which, as usual, she missed, but translated for everyone else. Emily gave her the same look I just had, but voiced her confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. I could tell she was trying to stay open minded, but the doubt was not well-hidden. Bella smiled softly.

_Being hurt by the one you love_, she answered. _But in my case, I guess it's more along the lines of the person I thought I loved._ Bella had everyone's attention now and they moved closer to the space in front of the couch. I wrapped my arm around her, knowing what she was talking about.

She explained to them all about her sire, the one who tricked her into loving him. It was everything she had told me that night in the field, but I had to translate for them. Even I could hear the tension and anger in my voice as she went along. I tried to hide it, but I knew everyone could tell. Emily was looking at Bella sadly when I finished.

"So, he played you to get you to trust him and really had no reason for it?" Emily asked, blinking back tears. Bella shook her head and shrugged.

_Not as far as I can tell. What I can tell you is that he likes to play games. He hasn't stopped taunting me since the day he found out I was still alive, even though it was like this_, she answered, gesturing to herself. Emily moved towards Bella, sitting on her other side. She hugged Bella and Bella returned it.

I glanced at Sam and he looked at me, still wary but not as regretful as he had been. I stood up and he stuck his hand out, looking slightly away from me. I stood there looking at him until he returned my gaze before I took it. I physically felt the tension leave the room as the four of us bonded, each other's pain giving us something in common. We dropped hands and turned towards the girls when we heard Emily start talking again. Emily was holding both of Bella's hands in hers and both of them were crying softly.

"What happened to me was an accident though. It wasn't on purpose. What happened to you…I hope you get him for it. I really do. You didn't deserve to go through that, and you don't deserve to now," Emily said, visibly squeezing Bella's hands. Bella just nodded and smiled, unable to respond. Emily hugged her one last time before standing up and walking over to me, hugging me around the waist with one arm. She moved over to Sam after letting go of me, and he embraced her. I sat back down next to Bella and she took my hand. I looked over at Billy, a question coming to my mind.

"Were you able to find anything about Bella or the rogue?" I asked, trying not to sound pushy. Billy looked thoughtful.

"Well, Edward, besides the fact that she has to defeat him and that she knows him personally, there was really nothing besides the prophecy itself. The deaths that the rebel is causing are messing with the balance between life and death, which is why he needs to be stopped. We don't know what will happen if he keeps it up. The blood promise isn't mentioned anywhere, so my guess is that only Bella knows what that is," he finished, looking at Bella. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. I wrapped my arm around her without unlinking our fingers and squeezed her to me.

_I know what it is_, she signed, not lifting her head. She leaned against me and continued. _When he was drinking from me, something happened nearby. He had almost finished when he let go of both me and my soul. I fought with everything I had, trying to hold on. I still blacked out, but I must have managed to pull myself back into my body. I promised myself that if I somehow survived this, I wouldn't focus on anything but getting him back for what he did. I woke up three days later, still on my bed_, she finished. I looked at her and raised her head until she was facing me.

"So that's why you can't see me," I said slowly. She opened her eyes and looked at me, her eyes constantly moving over my face. I chuckled. "You can't see me because of your promise. That's why you can see everyone else more." She shrugged.

_I guess so. And I guess that's why I can't talk either. It would mean I was distracted if I was able to talk to anyone I wanted. And why I can't see everyone clearly. I see enough to get myself through_, she said. I nodded slowly.

"Well, I think it's about time we let these guys get back to their lives," Esme said. She linked her arm with Carlisle's and smiled softly. "I think we've imposed on them long enough."

"I agree," Carlisle said. "We should be getting back. The six of you have school and the hospital's been calling."

"Have they said anything?" I asked, standing up. Bella followed, not letting go of my hand. He shook his head.

"They just said there was a case that I might be interested in. They wouldn't say anything about it unless I came in," he answered. All of us made our way towards the front door, Billy making his way in front of us. We filed out onto the porch and stopped.

"This has been much more of a pleasure than I first thought it would be," Billy said. Carlisle nodded.

"I agree. If you ever need anything, just let us know. We owe you for this," he said. Billy smiled and stretched his hand towards Carlisle. He took it and put his free hand over Billy's.

"I don't think it's you who owes us, but we'll just agree to help each other if the time ever comes," Billy responded. Carlisle nodded.

"Agreed." We all said our goodbyes and Emmett threw me over his shoulder.

"Sorry, little bro. We're running so you're gonna need a lift." I sighed and Bella laughed, stretching up on the tips of her toes to kiss me.

"Hey, none of that!" Emmett said, taking a step away and making the two of us laugh.

We made it to the house in only a few minutes and Bella went for a quick hunt. Carlisle went up to his office to call the hospital and Esme started cooking something. I sat on the couch and waited for Bella to get back. I heard something coming from upstairs and moved towards them. I saw Carlisle standing at the top, hanging up his phone. He looked down at me and smiled.

"You will never guess who just had surgery," he said. I looked at him, confused, wondering why I would guess the name of someone who was in the hospital. He paused, seeming to realize the wording he used, but continued.

"Danni had her surgery the other day. She's getting out of the hospital now. Her mom is on her way to get her." My eyes grew wide and he came down the stairs.

"She had her surgery?" I asked. "How did it go?"

"It worked. She can hear, but she needs to learn how to talk now. There's also the problem of teaching her what the words she's been signing sound like, but her mom is ready to get started," Carlisle explained. Bella walked through the door then, and came over to where we were standing. She wrapped her arms around my waist and I put one arm around her.

"Can I see her?" I asked. Bella looked up at me, but I didn't look back yet. Carlisle nodded and I turned to Bella as he went to get his keys.

"Bella, we're going to the hospital. One of my friends just had surgery and we're going to visit her," I said excitedly. She looked at me worriedly. "What is it, Bella?" I asked, concerned.

_You never mentioned her before. Who is she?_ Bella asked, and I suddenly realized what she was really asking.

"Bella, this is a little girl I knew from when I was still in the hospital. She walked into my room one day and visited me almost every day. Her mom taught me sign language so I could talk to her," I explained. She smiled softly and nodded.

_I'll have to thank her, then. I wouldn't be able to talk to you if she hadn't_, Bella signed. I smiled back and kissed her softly. She smiled against me and we broke apart when Carlisle came in.

"Let's get going if you want to see her before she leaves," he said, not acknowledging what he had seen. "And you should probably take your own car in case I get stuck." I nodded and grabbed my keys off the hook in the kitchen.

Bella and I went into the garage to get my car while Carlisle got a head start in his. I pushed the button on my dash to raise the garage door and backed out, not seeing Carlisle anymore. I shifted into drive and headed towards the road, taking Bella's hand on the shifter like we had before.

"You're going to love Danni, Bella. She's like the little sister I never had. I think she's only six or seven and she's got so much energy. She would run around my room telling me stories…I couldn't even tell what she was signing, so she ended up having to tell me all over again. I'll have to translate for you for a while, though, until she starts talking," I said, squeezing Bella's hand.

I heard an ambulance coming up behind me and pulled over, turning to see it shoot by us in the direction of the hospital. I felt an uneasy pang in my chest, but brushed it off, not even sure what could have caused it. I didn't even know who it was. I pulled back onto the road and followed the direction of the ambulance, trying to keep myself calm.

We pulled into the parking lot as the ambulance was leaving. I had to park in the back and we walked slowly to the entrance, Bella not letting go of my hand the whole time. We approached the desk and the secretary smiled at me.

"Edward! Oh, my God! You're walking!" she exclaimed loudly, running around the desk towards me.

She was about as old as Esme looked and had made sure I wasn't bothered too much by the nurses. I thought of her as a savior at the time. I thought differently as she plowed into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and obviously trying to break my grip on Bella's hand. I didn't return her embrace, but she didn't let go all that quickly. I cleared my throat and she hastily backed up, glancing down to see that our hands were still linked. I saw a flash of annoyance, but she didn't say anything.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked.

"I'm looking for someone, actually," I answered, trying not to sound too hasty. She smiled and giggled, turning my stomach.

"I can help with that. I could help you with a lot of things, actually," she said, trying to flirt. I held back my eye-roll.

"The little girl, Danni. She's supposed to be released today. Can you tell me what room she's in?" The secretary went back behind the desk, swinging her hips the whole way.

"Edward," someone called. I turned to see Carlisle coming towards us. His face was pained and he looked like he was regretting what he was going to say.

"Danni's not going anywhere just yet," he said. "An ambulance arrived with a crash victim. She was dead before they arrived. It was Danni's mother." A sound escaped my lips and I felt Bella's arms catch me around my waist. I was set down in a chair and she kneeled in front of me, keeping me from falling forward in case I passed out.

"The strange thing is that her injuries were consistent with any other car crash. There's nothing that we can see that would have killed her so quickly. Bella, I'd like to borrow you for a minute or so. I'd like you to take a look and see if you can find anything we can't," Carlisle continued. I saw Bella nod and look at me. I tried to smile and nodded for her to go. She kissed my forehead and left. They were back before I even realized, Bella taking my hand in hers.

"It's what I thought, Edward. Unfortunately, this seems to be the work of our rebel. Bella couldn't see where her soul went. It looked like it was ripped out of her, but he made it look like she had a heart attack at the wheel." I closed my eyes tightly.

"Have you told her yet?" I whispered.

"Yes, someone was sent up when I came to tell you," he answered gently. Bella took my hands and pulled me to my feet. "She's on the next floor, a few doors down from the elevator."

I nodded and opened my eyes, immediately seeing Bella looking at me worriedly. She wrapped an arm around my waist and we walked over to the elevator, Carlisle leading the way. I didn't pay any attention to the people we walked by, but I heard the sound of a gurney being wheeled away from our direction. We got in the elevator and the first thing we heard as the doors opened was the screaming of a young girl.

**A/N: Sorry to leave off on such a bad note, but I was making this a little long. Or, at least it would have been if I had continued. I would have put this up last night, but fanfic wouldn't let me log in…**

**So, I have a little bit of bad news. I don't think I'll be able to update this weekend with all of the stuff for school I have to get done, but I will definitely update the week after. I'll try to work on the next chapter as often as I can, but I have my senior speech, scholarships, and the second half of a term paper to do. Believe me, I would rather do this. I actually left off here so it's easier to start the next one.**

**The song is All These Lives by Daughtry. It probably would have fit the next chapter better than this one, but I can always find another.**

**Please review and vote on my poll! :)**


	22. Your Guardian Angel

_Your Guardian Angel_

**EPOV**

The sound pierced my ears, but I ran towards it anyway. I ran as fast as I could, flying past the first three doors until I got to the room full of doctors and nurses. Bella was right behind me and pulled me into the room, shoving the other people aside.

"You need to get out of here," one of the nurses at the edge of the bed yelled. I glared and shoved through them, gently grabbing Danni's hand from the grip of one of the doctors. He grabbed my shoulder and tried to shove me out of his way, but Bella moved behind me, making it impossible for him to get to me. I grabbed Danni's hands, trying to keep her from hurting me or herself.

"Danni, come on. You need to stop." I said, using a normal tone. All of the doctors and nurses were yelling at her and each other, leaving me able to be heard. I repeated myself and she paused for a few second, her grief-filled eyes scanning the ceiling. She started thrashing around again and I leaned down.

"Danni, please stop. Everything's going to be okay. I'm going to make sure you're okay," I said. She slowed, but didn't stop. I kept talking to her quietly, gently convincing her that she would be fine. I heard Carlisle tell someone to put a sedative back, but didn't stop to look.

"Danni, I'm here now. You're not alone," I continued. She froze and I felt her hands attempt to move. I moved my hands to her small wrists and she started signing, only able to get one word.

_Who…_she kept repeating. She was still looking at the ceiling, but her face shot to mine when I locked her fingers with mine and squeezed her hand three times. It was something I always did when she visited me, when she arrived and before she left.

Her eyes bulged as she slowly recognized me, tears welling up in her eyes as her face contorted even more with her grief. She threw herself at me, wrapping her small arms tightly around my neck and futilely attempting to wrap her legs around my waist. I untangled her from the bed sheet and she pulled herself into my lap. She burrowed her tear soaked face into my shoulder and I slowly rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her. I knew she probably didn't understand what I was saying to her, but I didn't care at that point.

"It's going to be okay, Danni. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." I kept repeating the same things over and over again until she cried herself to sleep, her body becoming limp in my arms. I tried to lay her back down, but she had knotted her fingers together behind my head. Bella gently untangled them, but left them there.

She pulled the sheets down to the edge of the bed and helped me lay down without dropping Danni. I lay down and moved Danni to my side, being careful of the I.V. drip that was still attached to her arm. I was momentarily surprised that it had stayed in the whole time, but my mind moved on. She unconsciously moved her arms as far around me as she could and laid her head on my chest. I put one arm around her, my hand on her shoulder, and sighed. Bella pulled a chair over next to me and laid her head on the bed, resting her chin on her arms.

I looked around the room to see that everyone but two of the nurses, a doctor I remembered from when I was in the hospital, and Carlisle had left. Carlisle waved the three of them out, nodding that he had it under control. The doctor looked like he wanted to argue, but I glared at him, focusing all of my anger over what happened at him. He left, if not grudgingly, and Carlisle leaned on the end of the bed.

"Good job, son," he said quietly. He was smiling, his gaze moving from my face to Danni's half-hidden one. "She's going to need someone with her now, someone who understands and can help her get through. This will be really tough on her." I nodded, a ping of my old pain flashing through me.

I couldn't let her go through that alone, like I did. I felt like I owed it to her, since she helped me. Even more than that, I felt like I _had_ to help her, both for her sake and for Carmine's. Knowing that she could be watching, knowing that the ultimate relief for her would be to know that her daughter wasn't alone even though she's gone…I couldn't turn away from her if I wanted to. Bella squeezed my hand, seeming to notice my thoughts had travelled.

_I can help too_, Bella signed to me when I finally looked at her. I smiled and shook my head.

"I can't ask you to do that," I whispered, but Bella immediately shook her head.

_It's my fault that this even happened. If I hadn't come here, Logan would have left all of you alone. Her mother would still be alive and you wouldn't need to help her because this never would have happened_, she signed quickly, not letting me get a word in until she was done.

"Please don't talk like that, Bella. It's not fair to blame yourself for all of this. It's his fault-" I stopped, thinking about what she said.

"Logan? Is that his name?" Bella's eyes bulged as she realized her slip-up. She sighed and nodded.

_That's the name he used when I dated him. I don't know what it could be now._ I nodded but she continued.

_And back to what we were talking about before, it _is_ my fault because I brought all of you to his attention by not pushing you away. It's selfish of me, but I don't want to live my life all by myself, constantly running from him and having to start over everywhere I go. I don't want to let him control what I do_, she signed, only her face betraying her insecurity. I smiled and squeezed her hand.

"I completely understand, Bella. And it's not selfish for you to want to live your life. He's still trying to control you by doing this, but you can't let him have that control. You've got to fight him, just like you've been." She smiled back at me.

_So, do you understand why I want to help you with her now?_ She asked, her sarcasm passing through her expression. I chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I get it. Just don't feel obligated to do everything you can to help." She glared at me and was about to sign something when Carlisle intervened.

"You are keeping in mind that we still have to check for next of kin, right? She'll only go up for adoption if she has no other family or no one has the capacity to take care of her needs," he said factually. My body tensed. I had forgotten completely about that.

"How long do you think it'll take before we know?" I asked hesitantly. He thought about it for a few seconds.

"It'll depend on how long it takes to get in contact with anyone from her family and how long it takes them to decide whether or not they can take her. She'll stay here for now, though," Carlisle added, noticing my expression.

"You want to keep a four-year-old cooped up in a hospital room for an indefinite amount of time," I stated. I saw his features waver, just enough for me to notice, and continued.

"You want to keep a four-year-old who needs to learn how to speak the words she's been signing all her life in a hospital instead of bringing her to a house with someone who knows sign language and someone else who can only communicate through sign language." He grimaced just slightly.

"You want to keep her away from the two people who could speed up her progress and relieve the hospital of the problem of trying to talk to her even though she'll have no idea what they're saying." His shoulders slumped and I suppressed my smile of victory. He sighed deeply and gave me a stern look.

"It has to be _her_ choice. I don't even know if the hospital will clear it. According to their records, I'm already fostering you." He ran a hand through his blond hair, a habit it looked like he was starting to pick up from me.

"She'll be in a house with a doctor, a mother figure, and two people who will teach her what she needs to know. She already knows the two of us," I said, gesturing to him and myself, "and she's really comfortable around us. Why would they give themselves more work and say no?" Carlisle nodded his head, surrendering once again.

"You have good points, but it is still not my decision to make. Hopefully they will see it the same way you do." He gave Danni one last look and, seeing that she was still sleeping deeply, walked out. I sighed and looked at Bella, her face resting on her arm.

"Why does so much happen to us I one day?" I asked rhetorically. She shook her head and shrugged, smiling at me. I shook my head and leaned it back against the pillow. My body felt like lead and I immediately fell asleep.

**BPOV**

Both Edward and Danni slept all night, but I couldn't. Not with all of the people around. So, I moved my chair farther up the bed so that I was right across from Edward's face, and watched him sleep. It was really more like listening to him breathe, but it didn't really matter.

The hospital quieted down quickly once visiting hours ended, but I couldn't calm down. I knew people were in the hospital still, but I couldn't see any of them and it was making me nervous. I had expected school to be bad, but it was easier when I could see the people I knew were there. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, letting my breath out slowly a few seconds later. It didn't help and I jumped slightly when Edward sighed in his sleep.

I opened my eyes and looked at the dark blur of his face. I could only see the silhouette of his face and slowly ran my hand through his hair.

"Bella?" a voice asked from the door. I whipped around, rising half out of my seat, and exhaled loudly when I saw it was only Carlisle. I sat back down and put my face in my hands, listening to Carlisle walk towards me. His hand landed softly on my shoulder and I brought my hands down to my lap so I could look at him.

"You okay? I know this has to be a little nerve wracking for you," he asked, looking straight at my face. I knew he was looking to see if I was going to tell the truth and I smiled. I shrugged one shoulder and nodded, letting him know I was dealing. He smiled back, the dim lighting letting me see more of his face than I had since I first met them. I was actually able to see his mouth move before he started talking, instead of being taken by surprise.

"Edward would understand if you went home for the night, Bella. I can drive you home and then Esme can bring you back in the morning." I shook my head, seeing how serious he was with his offer. I couldn't have them go out of their way for me. He smiled again.

"Well, let me know if you change your mind. I'll be around." I nodded and he stood up, patting my shoulder once reassuringly as he walked out. I looked back at Edward's face and sighed, laying my head back down on the bed. I took Edward's free hand in mine and closed my eyes, falling asleep even if it was only for a short while. It really didn't matter to me. My mind was empty, I was with Edward, and I felt calm knowing Carlisle wouldn't be too far.

I woke up a few hours later, the sun just poking up over the horizon. I opened my eyes and Edward was still sleeping, but someone was not. I could feel someone staring at me and shifted so I could see their soul. I still hadn't opened my eyes, but my ability let me see the little girl looking intently at me as if I had opened them. I watched as her soul shifted, confusion constantly trading places with grief, worry, and a little anxiousness.

I sighed deeply so she knew I was awake, and slowly opened my eyes like I was just waking up. I quickly switched my vision back so that my eyes weren't almost completely black and stretched, leaning back and closing my eyes again. I rubbed my eyes with my hands and looked out the window when I put them back in my lap. I turned to her slowly, like I hadn't known she was awake. I give a small smile and she shrinks back into Edward's side.

I brought my gaze to Edward's face and then to the window, hoping she wouldn't be so frightened if I didn't look directly at her. I was able to sense that she knew something was different about me, and it made her wary. I decided to leave for a few minutes and come back, allowing her time to get her bearings without a stranger in the same room. I slowly brought my gaze back to her direction, keeping it above and to the left of her face so I would seem less confrontational.

_I'm going to get some breakfast. Could you tell Edward if he wakes up while I'm gone?_ I slowly signed to her, seeing her expression change as I did so. She nodded once, just barely perceptible, and I slowly stood up.

I went down to the main floor, running my fingers deftly over the Braille under the signs. I couldn't read the small letters on the map, but I did it quickly enough so that no one noticed. I made it to the cafeteria quickly and came across the problem of money. I haven't had a need for it since I was changed and the Cullens took care of anything I needed. I went to a table and someone's hand landed on my shoulder just as I was going to sit down.

I turned quickly forcing myself to keep my hands down so I wouldn't look defensive. A boy only a year or two younger than Edward stood behind me. I couldn't guess his age accurately, but from his size I guessed he couldn't be older. His features were blurred just like everyone else's, leaving me to mostly guess about what he looked like. He raised his other hand and I held back a flinch. The strange thing was, all he did was wave. I waved back cautiously, seriously confused about what was going on. I breathed a sigh of relief when Carlisle strolled through the door.

"There you are, Ryan. I told you to get your mom breakfast, not talk to Bella," he said gently. I looked at him, confused, and he laughed. He ushered the kid, Ryan, over to the food line and walked back over to me. "Sorry about that. Ryan tends to talk to anyone and everyone. He's mentally ill and his mother's here with pneumonia so he's been wandering around. It's hard to keep him in one place," Carlisle explained. I smiled and waved off the apology.

"So, what brought you down here? Edward awake?" he asked. I shook my head and put my hand out at hip height. "Danni's awake?" he guessed. I nodded.

"Did you sign to her?" I nodded miming to him that I told her I was going to come down here and then pointed to the line. "For Edward?" he asked. I nodded again. "But you don't have any money." I shook my head. "Wait here."

He went over to the line and stood behind Ryan, who was the only person on line. I saw him grab something and say something to Ryan, but he was speaking so low I couldn't hear him. He paid and they both walked back over to where I was standing. Ryan waved again and I waved back, a little more relaxed around him than I had been before.

"Here you go," Carlisle said, handing me two Styrofoam containers. "One for Edward and one for Danni. I've got to make sure Ryan gets back to his mom's room, but I'll be up to check on her a little later." I nodded and Ryan waved again as Carlisle led him away. I smiled and waved once more before heading back up to the room.

I took the elevator back up, someone else running in just as the doors were closing. They said a quick "hi" to me and I saw him flinch back when I turned. He immediately turned away and I leaned back against the wall, holding the two containers against me. He stayed near the door and didn't say anything else until the doors opened on the second floor. I walked out, feeling his gaze burning into my back, and quickly turned. I glared at him and he looked away, startled. I walked to the room and turned in, his gaze returning for only a few seconds before the elevator doors closed.

I walked in to see that Danni had shifted onto her back, Edward's arm still around her. She was looking out the window but turned to me as I was setting the food on the table. She seemed to be looking more curiously at me now than she did before, but I didn't want to change my vision to find out. I offered one of the containers to her but she kept staring, only moving to raise her hands.

_Who are you?_ She asked me. I smiled and signed back.

_My name is Bella. I'm Edward's friend._ She kept looking at me, not responding for a few seconds.

_How do you know how to talk like that?_ She didn't elaborate and I guessed she was talking about signing.

_I can't talk, so I had to learn sign language_, I answered, leaving out the death and vampirism.

_What about your eyes? Can you see?_ I smiled, thinking about the fact that I wouldn't know what she was signing if I couldn't. She seemed to realize the same and looked away. I moved a step closer and she glanced up at me.

_I can't see as good as other people, but yes. I only see shapes and black, white, and grey._ Her mouth fell into a little "o" and I laughed softly. She looked down at her lap again, twisting her hands nervously. I stood there and waited, having a feeling she was trying to think of a way to ask something else. She glanced at me and looked down again. She started signing, but didn't look up until she was finished.

_Edward…Is he…Can he…Can he walk? He couldn't walk the last time I saw him._ I smiled and nodded.

_Yes. He's been able to for a little while now._ A huge smile broke out on her face and she looked at Edward, who was still sleeping. She looked back at me, her smile only faltering for a second.

_Bella…is he…is he happy now? He's not sad all the time anymore, right?_ I shook my head.

_He's happier now than when I first met him, but I can only guess that he is happier than when he was still in the hospital._ She sighed deeply and I offered the food again. She nodded and extended her hands towards me. I took a couple steps around the side of the bed towards her and extended the container towards her. She took it, making sure our hands didn't touch, and set it on her lap. She didn't open it immediately, sitting there staring at it for a few seconds.

_Do you know what's going to happen? To me?_ I smiled sadly, knowing we would have to tell her eventually. I shook my head and shrugged.

_I don't know. Carlisle was trying to contact the rest of your family, but I have no idea what is going to happen after that._ I glanced at Edward and back at her. _Edward…he mentioned you coming to live with the rest of us if nothing else works out, but that has to be a last resort. If someone in your family wants to take you in, then we have to let them._ She had slowly started shaking her head as soon as I mentioned her family. I looked at her curiously, the unmistakable glint of tears in her eyes.

_There _is _no one. Grandma and grandpa died last year, dad is gone, and mom doesn't have any other family. I've never met dad's family_, she explained, tears falling down her face. _I don't want to go with them. I don't know them!_ She exclaimed, signing faster than I've ever seen a human in her anxiety. I walked closer and sat on the end of the bed. I took the food from her lap and set it on the table behind me.

_Danni, we are going to do everything we can to make sure you end up where _you_ want to be. If that's not with them, then we will fight for you to stay wherever it is you want to be._ She nodded hysterically and climbed into my lap, shocking me. She wrapped her small arms around me and sobbed into my shirt.

I put my arms around her and held her as she cried, rubbing her back comfortingly. She quickly fell back asleep again and I understood why Edward had such strong feelings for her. I picked her up and moved next to Edward, laying her down between us. She kept herself latched to me, her face in my stomach and her curls falling all over. I promised myself as I watched her sleep that I would stick to my word. Danni wasn't going anywhere.

**A/N: So, like I said in my last update, I didn't update last week because of school work. I didn't get everything I wanted done, but here's the update I told you I'd do. I'm not going to promise another one next week with all of the end-of-the-school-year work, but I will try my best.**

**This chapter title is Your Guardian Angel by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. After Bella's promise, it fits quite nicely.**

**Please review! :)**


	23. Home

_Home_

**EPOV**

I woke up feeling something chilly next to me where I remembered Danni being when I fell asleep. Bella's hand wasn't in mine anymore, but there was an extra weight half on top of me. I opened my eyes slowly, willing my half-sleeping mind to start functioning, when I saw the two figures next to me and all thought escaped again.

Danni was clutching Bella like her life depended on it, her little body half laying on both of ours. Bella was next to me, which explained the chill I felt, and Danni had one of Bella's arms in a death grip to her chest. Bella's head was slightly bowed towards Danni and there was a small smile on her face. Danni was laying on us so that she was in between my arm and my body, but she was still on both of us on her back. She looked like she had been crying, dried tear marks running down her cheeks. Bella shifted next to her and her eyes fluttered open. I smiled at her and she smiled back, her gaze moving to Danni.

"Is she okay?" I whispered, trying not to wake Danni. Bella shrugged one shoulder and shook her head. She didn't know. She raised her one hand so I could see it and explained what happened after I fell asleep, about talking to Danni about herself, about me, and then about what was going to happen. She told me Danni had remembered everything that happened and she had been the one to bring up the topic, not Bella.

"Carlisle didn't tell you anything?" I asked. She shook her head.

_No, he just came in to make sure I was going to be alright with all the people here. School is easier for me since I can see the people that I feel, but here I can't. I know they are around, but I can't see them and it was making me a little nervous. He told me he would be around and I was able to fall asleep. When I woke up, Danni was already awake._ I nodded, thinking.

"So, she knows everything. Now we've just got to find out what's going to happen next," I said, putting one arm behind my head on the pillow. Bella nodded and put her hand in mine, making sure not to disturb Danni in the process. I smiled at her and squeezed her hand three times, causing her to smile back and laugh silently.

Bella and I dozed for a while after that, not wanting to take the chance of waking Danni. Bella mentioned the food she got, but it was at the other end of the bed. With the way Danni was positioned, neither of us could reach it without moving her. Carlisle walked in at one point when I was eyeing the containers and he almost started laughing. He handed me a container and I ate the contents quickly, my stomach letting me know just how hungry I was as I started eating. I didn't even pay attention to what I was eating and Carlisle took the container back only a few minutes after handing it to me.

"So, how is she doing?" he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. I told him everything Bella told me and he nodded, responding the same way I had.

"And now we wait. We should hear from someone today about her, but we still won't know for sure. You said it was only her father's family, which explains the lack of calls that had to be made." I nodded when he paused. "Hopefully we'll know what's going on by tonight or tomorrow then."

"Does she have to stay here while we wait? You were letting her out before this happened," I asked cautiously. Carlisle gave me a stern look and turned to walk out without answering.

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes again. I felt Danni move, turning over until she was lying on my chest, and she tucked her arms in under her small form. I took my hand from behind my head and rubbed her back soothingly. I felt my other hand move and soft lips touched the back. I smiled and felt Bella lean towards me, my hand leaving her mouth. Her hair brushed against the side of my face as her lips gently touched mine. She leaned back, lying down so her head was next to mine on the pillow. I moved my arm so that it was around her and she took my hand in hers again.

"Quite the lady's man, aren't you?" I looked towards the door to see Esme and Alice standing there, Alice with a smug look on her face. I felt Bella laugh and smiled, shrugging. "I tried to warn you when she first came around, but it was always 'nah' or 'what are you talking about?' or 'that's not true, Alice.' Well, look at you now," she said, her imitations of me making Bella's body shake harder with laughter. I just shook my head and they came in, taking the two chairs in the room.

"So, how is she doing?" Esme asked quietly.

"I'm not really sure. She talked to Bella for a while this morning, but I was still asleep." I told them everything Bella told me, just like I had done with Carlisle. Tears formed in Esme's eyes when I mentioned Danni's family, but she didn't say anything until I was finished.

"We're just waiting to see if anyone from her dad's side of the family is willing to take her." I felt Bella tense and ran my thumb up and down her side, understanding her feelings.

"I'm guessing you are going to try to get her to come live with us, right?" Esme asked. I nodded.

"She already told Bella she doesn't want to live with anyone from his side since she hasn't met them, so it's all up to them. She said she wants to live with us, so now we've just got to get it to happen." Alice and Esme nodded just as Carlisle came in again.

"Oh, good. You're already here. We just got a call from Danni's grandparents," he said, looking at Alice and Esme and then at everyone. I looked down at Danni, who was still sleeping.

"Let her be, Edward. It might be better if I let you know and then you tell her in a way that will sound…better," he hesitated, glancing down at Danni's face with worry. I nodded and he leaned against the wall, sighing.

"They seemed like really nice people. But they are old. Her grandmother even admitted it. They know they can't take care of her and they know she wouldn't be happy living with them." He paused and I waited, holding my breath.

"She also told me…the rest of the family doesn't even know she exists. She didn't go into what happened or why, but she said that's why no one else has called and not to expect them to. She is a ward of the state now, since she has no legal guardians." I looked at him, my anxiety making it impossible to speak. He looked back at me, his eyes only revealing a sadness that made my heart constrict. Suddenly a smile broke out on his face.

"She is coming home. The papers have to be filed, but we got approval to take her home to start her rehabilitation." I breathed a huge sigh of relief and my body slumped on the bed. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my heart, which sounded more like a hummingbird's than a human's. Bella was laughing next to me and put her hand over my heart. I took mine from her grip and put it over hers, making my fingers fall between hers.

"Geez, Edward! You're acting like a protective older brother!" Alice exclaimed, laughing. I smirked and opened my eyes, looking down at Danni.

"That's exactly how I feel, Alice," I responded. She immediately sobered and I looked up at her. Her face was a mask of calm understanding. Danni yawned against me and I looked back down at her. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to clear her vision, and turned her face towards me. Her eyes opened wide and a smile broke out on her face. She flung herself at me and sat on my chest, bouncing up and down with excitement. I kept a hand on her back so she wouldn't fall over and she proceeded to tell me what got her so excited.

_Edward! Edward, Bella talks like me! She understands what I'm saying!_ She exclaimed, emphasizing her amazement by slamming her hands down on my chest once she was done. I chuckled, mentally thanking god that she wasn't stronger than she is.

_I know, Danni_, I signed, speaking at the same time so Bella and the others knew what I was saying. _And the only reason I can talk to her is because of learning how to talk to you._

Danni blushed and smiled, throwing her arms around my neck to hide her face. All of us started laughing and I rubbed her back. Bella brushed Danni's hair back from her face and looked at me, gesturing for me to tell her the news. I smiled and nodded, leaning back so I could see her face.

_Danni, we have something to tell you,_ I signed while she was looking at me. She frowned in confusion, tilting her head to one side. I smiled and chuckled. _Take a guess._

_Edward, I don't know! Just tell me!_ She exclaimed, slamming her small hand on me again. That set us all laughing again, but she just kept looking at me, waiting for an answer.

_Okay, then_, I said. _Guess where you're going._ She narrowed her eyes for a few seconds, but understanding lit up her face soon after.

She stood up and started jumping all over the bed, just missing Bella and I each time. Both of us shot up and grabbed her arms. Bella held her I.V. line so Danni didn't pull it out and I pointed to it, only able to keep her attention for a few seconds. She sat down on my leg, still unable to keep still, and sounds of joy streamed from her mouth.

_So I guess you know?_ I said.

_I'm going home with you!_ She signed, throwing her hands in the air to express her joy. I smiled and nodded. I turned to Carlisle, who was still leaning against the wall.

"When can she leave?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Anytime, I guess. I've just got to get her discharged," he said, starting to walk towards the door. He paused just inside it. "You're car is still here, right?" I nodded. "Let me see if I can get her set. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Danni rattled on and on about everything she wanted to do as soon as she got to the house while we waited. Bella and I just smiled and nodded, her hands going barely slow enough for me to follow. I wasn't sure if Bella could distinguish one word from another, but it seemed like she could. Alice and Esme just sat there watching her, joyful smiles on both of their faces. Danni followed my gaze and seemed to realize that only half of her audience actually knew what she was saying. She looked at me, pointed to herself, and then pointed at them. I gave her a confused look and she sighed heavily.

_Help them understand me. Can we try to teach them some?_ She asked, changing from bothered to thoughtful in the blink of an eye. I shrugged.

_I don't see why not. They might know a little already from watching me talk to Bella,_ I answered. She nodded enthusiastically and pointed to them again. I turned and they looked at me curiously.

"She wants to know if we can teach you two some sign language so you know what she is saying," I summarized.

"Cool!" Alice exclaimed, making Bella and Danni jump in surprise. I laughed and Esme joined in.

"I guess that's a yes," I said, signing simultaneously. Danni started clapping enthusiastically before sitting down and staring at Esme and Alice. She turned to me.

_I want to teach them letters first_, she said. I nodded.

_We can try to teach you the sounds of the letters while we are teaching them if you want._ Danni shrugged and nodded.

Alice and Esme brought their chairs over and Danni and I sat down on the edge of the bed. Bella laid down behind me so my back was against her stomach when I leaned back. She had her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, choosing to run her fingers across my back and listen since she wouldn't be able to see very much.

Danni started as soon as she saw that everyone was settled. She raised her hand and made a fist so that the palm of her hand was facing away from her. She tucked her thumb next to the side of her hand and stopped.

"That's the letter 'A'." I told them. They quickly copied the letter and Danni smiled brightly, nodding her approval. She looked at me and I pointed at her hand. "A," I said slowly. She nodded once, her face serious, and turned back towards Alice and Esme.

Danni opened her hand so that her index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers were straight up and crossed her thumb over her palm. She watched as Alice and Esme did the same, jumping off the bed to make tiny corrections that wouldn't have really made that much of a difference in a conversation. She smiled, approving of her work, and jumped back on the bed.

"B," I said, looking at Danni. She nodded and continued on to the next letter. We only managed to get up to E when Carlisle came in. His face was blank as he turned and closed the door behind him, but he couldn't keep a smile off his face once he turned to face us.

"Take her home, son," he said, his smile looking like it was breaking his face.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, embracing Danni. Bella joined in, sitting up and draping her arm over my shoulder and putting her other hand on Danni's. Danni looked up at me, not understanding what was happening.

_We're going home!_ I exclaimed, hugging her again to emphasize. Her eyes widened and she let out a high-pitched squeal. She wrapped her arms around both my neck and Bella's her arms barely making it to the backs of our necks. I flinched but laughed, putting my hand on her back to steady her. She suddenly froze and leaned back, her face losing its happiness.

_What is it?_ I asked her. _Aren't you happy?_ She nodded frantically.

_Of course I am! But…what about…my mom?_ She asked hesitantly. I smiled sadly, understanding what she was asking.

_I don't know if you should see her, Danni. She had a bad accident. She won't look very good_, I signed. I looked at Carlisle to see if I was right and he shook his head sadly.

"She is not even fit for a casket funeral. She'll need to be cremated," he explained. I told Danni what he said and she nodded sadly. I hugged her to my side again and kissed the top of her head. She hugged me back and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Bella used her thumb to wipe it away and Danni smiled at her.

_Shall we get you home then?_ Bella asked, looking at Danni. Danni nodded and looked at me. I squeezed her once more and stood up.

Alice and Esme got up and started collecting Danni's things while Carlisle went over and removed her I.V. drip. Bella stayed with her and held her hand. I went over to the small table and grabbed the sheets of paper and picture books. There was one leaning against the wall that was folded like a card and I picked it up, confused. A thin cursive scrawl went across the front, spelling my name and causing my heart to beat loudly. I opened it slowly, feeling someone's gaze land on me but not looking to see who it was.

"_I must congratulate myself on this one. Those stupid humans did not even second guess what happened to your little girl's mother. They take everything at first glance and believe there is no way they can be wrong. Oh, how foolish all of you are."_

"_Well, enough about that. What I really want to tell you…you're next. You or your little girl. I have not chosen just yet, but maybe I will make it at the same time…Either way, I will get you for trying to take my girl. I will get her and it will be through you. You and everyone else she has any compassion for. She won't leave you even though she knows I killed your little one's mother, so I'll just have to keep going."_

"_This is your warning, Edward. Either way, you will die. End your fake relationship with Bella now and I will kill you and the girl quickly. Neither of you will feel a thing. Refuse and you will die a slow, painful death. It's your choice. Choose wisely."_

My vision tunneled, focusing on the last two words. I felt my chest heaving with my increasing anger and my hands slowly close into tight fists around the letter and the other papers in my hands. Someone's hand landed on my shoulder, but I didn't look around. I just kept looking at those two words.

_Choose wisely._

Someone pried the letter from my hand, and then proceeded to take my face in their hands. I felt their thumbs rub across my cheeks and their concern crash into me in waves. A small hand grabbed mine and tugged gently, trying to get my attention, and increasingly harder when I didn't respond. There was a gasp from behind me and a muttered curse. The hands holding my face gently pulled my head down until I was looking at them. Bella's face flooded my small line of sight and I flinched, coming out of my trance. I blinked a few times, clearing my vision, and looked to the side to see that Danni was the one tugging on my hand. I turned back to Bella, watching as her eyes darted around my face.

"Edward…" Esme's voice wavered, exposing her worry. She let the sentence trail off, not knowing what to say. But I did.

_Let's get you home, Danni_, I signed and spoke, my voice thankfully staying steady. I gave Carlisle the papers in my hand and he slowly tucked them into her bag, not taking his confused gaze off me. Bella took my other hand, just as confused as everyone else.

I gently tugged on their hands and walked towards the door, everyone else following behind. We walked to the elevator and piled in, Danni moving in front of me so she wasn't crushed against the wall. Bella let go of my hand and took Danni's, placing her between us. She smiled up at me and then at Bella, even though Bella couldn't see it.

We exited the elevator and headed for the door. The nurses waved us out, their gazes glancing pityingly between both myself and Danni. Danni pulled on my hand and then let go, running over to the counter where I had seen her for the last time. She put her hands on the counter and wet up on her toes, her nose meeting the edge of the counter. She turned to me with a bright smile on her face and I smiled back.

_You've grown more since then_, I said and she nodded.

_I'm bigger now! I couldn't see over that the last time I saw you!_ She responded.

She came running back over and I picked her up, tossing her over my back so that her arms were around my neck. She wrapped her legs around me and Bella took my freed hand, smiling up at the laughing Danni. We continued outside to my car and I opened the back driver's side door for Danni. I kneeled down and she slid off my back, jumping into the car. She hopped up and down on the seat as I buckled her in. I closed the door and turned to Carlisle, who closed the trunk and looked at me at the same moment.

"What am I supposed to do, Carlisle?" I asked, only speaking in a whisper. I felt my shoulders fall as I let my despair show and Bella wrapped her arms around my waist. Carlisle sighed slowly, folding his arms over his chest.

"I truly don't know, Edward. The only thing I can tell you is that this is something I believe you and Bella must discuss alone. It is not my place to decide for you when I am not one of those involved." He stopped and I nodded sadly. Bella looked up at me, still not knowing what the letter had said and I shook my head.

"I'll tell you later. It's a lot to discuss," I said and she nodded understandingly. I looked back at Carlisle and he turned to Esme and Alice.

"Will you follow them home and keep Danni busy so they can talk?" he asked them. They both nodded. I smiled thankfully, but didn't say anything.

I walked Bella over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her. She got in and I closed the door, walking over to the other side and getting in myself. I saw Alice and Esme walk towards their own car and drove and drove towards home, my mind trying to think of a way to solve our problems without involving the one person I wished to protect from them.

**A/N: Well, this has been quite the busy week, but here's an update. I apologize for the extra week you had to wait for this, but the end of my senior year is turning out to be the busiest one yet. Hopefully I can still manage to update, but I'm not sure I will be able to meet one chapter every week. But I promise not to make you wait more than one week in between. I hate when it happens with stories that I read, so I will not do it to my readers.**

**This song is Home by Daughtry, a song I am sure is well known by quite a few of you.**

**Please review and vote in the poll if you haven't already! :)**


	24. Do or Die

_Do or Die_

**EPOV**

_I can't believe this_, Bella said after I told her about the note.

We were sitting on my bed while Alice and Esme kept Danni busy with dress up and some cookies Esme made as soon as we got home. They had given her a silent tour of the house, Bella telling her as we went upstairs that we would give her another once we were done talking. Right now, I wasn't sure how long it would take.

"I don't know what to do, Bella," I whispered, looking down at my lap. "I can't just leave you after all of this, but I don't want to put Danni in any more danger either." I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

"If I leave all of you, then the Volturi will come after and kill me because of what I know. If I stay here and we go on like we never got that note, Logan's going to kill me slowly, and kill Danni. If we stop our relationship, he's going to kill both of us anyway. Just quicker." I gave a sarcastic laugh. "Any way you look at it, I'm going to die." Bella shook her head slowly.

_The Volturi…they could just change you. You don't know that they would kill you_, she reasoned.

"The only reason I would be changed is because of Carlisle. If a member came after me without those orders, I'd be dead before I could explain," I responded cynically. She sighed and took my hand in both of hers, turning it over and tracing the lines of my palm. I sighed, defeated.

_We are not going to let anything happen to Danni, Edward. You know that we will protect her in any way possible_, she said, using one hand to sign and the other to continue tracing my palm. I nodded.

"That almost solves one problem," I said.

_The other is finding out how we can protect _you, she said, pointing at me longer than necessary to stress the word. I shook my head.

"There _is_ no protecting me, Bella-" She shook her head fiercely, cutting me off.

_There is one way, but the current circumstances are not ideal for it_. I looked at her questioningly, keeping my hopes down just in case. _Danni being here would make it a lot harder to do, but I'm sure we could think of something._

"What are you talking about, Bella?" I asked, keeping all emotion out of my voice. She smiled sadly at me.

_The change, Edward. The only thing that will make it, at the very least, a little harder for him to hurt you. I don't know exactly how strong he is, so I can't tell you how much effect it will have, but it's the only thing I can think of_, she signed. I stared at her, letting her suggestion sink in. My eyes widened with the understanding of a way out, but then my hopes crashed again.

"But you're right. What'll we do about Danni? I couldn't be around her right after I wake up. And what if she were to ask about me? What would we tell her? Where would we go until I could stand being around humans again?" I asked, not giving her enough time to answer. All of a sudden, her hand was over my mouth and the other was on the side of my face.

"Shh…" she said, the closest thing to talking she came to since I met her. I nodded and she looked at me questioningly, like she didn't believe me. I nodded again and she let go slowly, pulling her hand back little by little in case I started talking again.

_Moments like that make me wish _you_ couldn't talk_, she said with her freed hand. I chuckled and looked down at my lap, shaking my head. She put her hand under my chin and raised my head so that I was looking at her.

_We can talk about all of that with Carlisle and the others. We'll think of something. Besides_, she started, her face breaking into a smile,_ we shouldn't be thinking of this right now. Something else is happening soon and now we have someone else to buy for._ I sighed loudly and let my head fall into my hands.

"We're on Christmas break now, aren't we?" I asked, not able to believe I had forgotten. Bella started laughing, her silent fight shaking the bed slightly. "I'll take that as a yes."

She kept laughing as the bedroom door sprang open, a little body running across the room and jumping up on the bed with us. Danni hopped right into my lap and wrapped her arms around my chest, smiling excitedly. Bella smiled at me, a confused look in her eyes, and I just shrugged. I looked towards the doorway just as Alice and Esme appeared with apologetic looks on their faces. I shrugged and shook my head, letting them know it was okay. Danni leaned back enough to get her arms between us and smiled brightly.

"What's got you so happy?" I signed and asked. Danni clapped her hands happily as Alice and Esme walked over.

_It's almost Christmas!_ Danni signed, making it almost impossible to tell what she was saying by rapidly bouncing on my lap. _They said it's almost Christmas and I'm gonna get lots of presents and everybody's gonna be happy!_ Bella and I laughed and I gave her a quick squeeze.

"Yup. You're going to get lots and lots. Do you know anything you want right now?" I asked her. She shook her head slowly, like she was supposed to know.

"That's okay," I assured her. "When you think of something, right it down. Did mom ever have you make a Christmas list?" I said, without even thinking about how she would react. I saw sadness flash through her eyes for just a moment, but that was it. She shook her head and gave me a small smile.

_No, we never really had any money, so mommy always got me clothes and shoes that I needed before any toys. She always said she was sorry she couldn't get me nice things, but I didn't mind. I thought her presents were always really nice, so I never asked for anything more._

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Is there something you've always wanted that you've never been able to have?" She shook her head again.

_That's alright. If you think of something, let us know. Okay?_ Bella signed to her, moving so that she was sitting next to me. Danni nodded and hugged the two of us. I petted her hair and looked at Alice and Esme, who were standing at the end of the bed.

"How did this come up?" I asked them, confused. Both of them smiled.

"She really liked the clothes we had her try on," Alice said. "All of them were huge on her, but she was wearing my shirts as dresses. We told her she would get nice things for Christmas and then she came running in here." I smiled and shook my head.

"So what now?" I said, having absolutely no idea myself. Esme shrugged.

"Carlisle called and said he should be able to leave very soon. They guys are going come home with him since his car is the only one still there. The only thing I can think of is to talk about what we know and what we can do about it. Alice said you thought of one thing, but we'll need to discuss it with Carlisle." I nodded in agreement. Right on time, the soft hum of a car motor got louder and louder as it neared the house. All of us smiled at each other, trying not to laugh at the coincidence. Danni patted my chest to get my attention and I looked down at her.

_Who's that_? She asked, pointing towards the sound after she finished.

"That's Carlisle, the doctor from the hospital," I answered.

_Why is he coming here?_ I smiled at her confused face.

"He lives here, Danni. Remember when I left the hospital?" She nodded. "Well, I came here and have been living with Carlisle, Esme, and the others. Bella came a little while after, and now she's living here, too." Danni threw up her hands happily.

_And now me too!_ She signed, remembering she needed the hands she just threw up to say why. Bella and I laughed.

"Yes, and now you, too," I said, liking how it sounded. The front door opened and closed, letting us know that Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett were inside. We went downstairs, Danni getting a piggy back from me, and met them in the kitchen.

Carlisle looked as exhausted as anyone who can't really get tired could, but Jasper and Emmett looked okay. I saw something in Jasper's face, something that worried me, and saw that Alice had seen it too. She walked over to Jasper's side and wrapped an arm around his waist, giving me a warning look. I kept a few feet back from him, making sure I was always between them. Jasper gave me an apologetic look and walked quickly towards the door, Alice following close behind. Danni squeezed my neck slightly, letting me know she was confused.

"Don't worry about it," I signed to her. She didn't squeeze again, so I guessed that she let it go.

Carlisle seemed to have something of his own to talk about with us, inclining his head towards the living room. All of us followed him in there, allowing Jasper time to get himself together so that he could control himself around Danni, and took seats on the couch. Esme took a small stuffed animal from a chest along the wall and gave it to Danni to keep her occupied. She held the small kitten out to me, smiling and laughing in her excitement.

"Tell her there's more in there if she wants to play with them," Esme said as she took her place next to Carlisle. "I figured it would keep her busy so that she doesn't ask questions." I nodded and told her, a small smile appearing on my face as she jumped off my lap and ran to the chest.

She opened it carefully, like it was some kind of secret that she was being let in on. As soon as she saw the contents, though, all caution was thrown to the wind. She emptied the contents of the chest onto the floor in less than a minute, giggling and making excited sounds as she started playing with them. Bella wrapped her arms around me and rested her chin on my shoulder as we watched her, baby gibberish flowing from her mouth.

It astounded me that she could already almost form complete words, even if her level was only that of a baby. She didn't even seem to notice, since she continued to play, making the stuffed animals interact with each other. The entire time we watched her, I noticed that she never let the little kitten Esme gave her out of her sight. It was always in her hand, next to her, touching her leg, or in her lap. Carlisle brought my attention from her and back to the reason we were really sitting here by clearing his throat.

"So we have some matters to discuss. Who wants to go first?" he asked. No one said anything.

"I guess I will, then. Danni's mother is going to be cremated, since her body was so damaged in the crash. There will not be any funeral, but she will be buried in the Forks church cemetery after the police close the case. Her autopsy was finished this morning, so it could be any time." All of us nodded and I felt a warm sense of gratification that Carlisle had taken care of it so that Danni wouldn't have to hear about it again.

"So, I guess the only thing left is what Edward and Bella have been discussing. What we should do about the message," Esme said. Carlisle's face turned grim, as if he knew what we had decided on, but he didn't say anything.

"Both of us have decided," I started, gesturing to myself and Bella, "that neither of us is leaving. That cuts out the two obvious options to make sure the least amount of people get hurt, but it doesn't leave us with much else. I paused and cleared my throat, not looking at any of the faces I could feel staring at me.

"The only other thing we were able to think of," I continued, not wanting them to blame Bella for the idea, "Is something we have already discussed and know has to happen anyway. If I leave, he takes Bella and kills me. If Bella leaves, he'll go after her and kill me. If neither of us leaves, he'll kill me and Danni and take Bella. That's not to mention what he'll do to Bella once he has her." Everyone nodded, confirming our guesses about the possible outcomes. Rose spoke up then, before I could continue.

"But why does he want Danni dead? I can see why he killed her mom, since that was his way of getting to you without going directly after any of us, but why still go after her? She hasn't done anything to him," she asked, sounding like she was trying to keep herself as calm as possible so Danni wouldn't get distracted from her playing.

"She is what will make Edward and Bella's bond stronger," Esme answered. "He is using Danni as a reason for these two to leave. Neither one wants to see her hurt, so he thinks they will leave each other to save her. What he apparently did not expect was how far they are willing to go to protect her, even at the cost of their own lives." I looked at Bella and she looked back at me, both of us realizing just how true Esme's words were.

"They are willing to put their relationship in jeopardy to change Edward so that the two of them can keep her safe, even if it means he won't be the same as he is now," she finished. I looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean, I might not be the same as I am now?" I asked. She smiled sadly at me.

"You know the change affects people differently. There's always a chance your personality might change because of it. At the very least, it will only be at the beginning until you are used to your new life." I nodded, acknowledging that I understood. They had told me many times about the possible effects the change could have.

"So that's the only other option we've been able to come up with. Logan is going to kill me, no matter how this goes down. If you don't change me and I somehow survive this, the Volturi will kill me or change me themselves." I gave a short laugh. "No matter what, I'm either going to end up dead or undead, so is there really much debate as to what we should do? I mean, you already know I want to change."

"Don't talk like that, Edward," Esme said, her gaze moving from me to Bella. I looked at her, her face still resting on my shoulder, to see a sadness there that I wish I hadn't.

There was a dullness in her eyes, like she was imagining something that was killing her inside. Unshed tears flooded her eyes, making tiny reflections of the sunlight streaming through the windows. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, like she was having a nightmare. I moved my arms so that they were around her and I was holding her to my chest like I was trying to keep her together myself. I pulled her onto my lap and held her tightly, whispering apologies in her ear, her hair, her shoulder, anywhere to try to get her to forgive me.

"I'm sorry, Bella. So sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, Bella. Please forgive me," I repeated, over and over again. There were soft footsteps and then Danni's face appeared in front of us. I kept going, though, even as Danni stood there and listened. I kept going, even when she let me in to see what she was seeing.

A faceless man torturing me until I died in front of her, the image only changing to start over with different events. The only thing that always stayed the same was Bella's face as she watched the life pass from my eyes, her own soul seeming to die with me.

"Sss…Sssoo…Sssooo…" I heard, seemingly from a distance. The images slowly faded away, even as I held Bella tighter in my arms. I wasn't whispering to her anymore, but I couldn't remember stopping. I tried to think if it was me I was hearing, but I wasn't talking at all.

"Sssooo…Sooow…Sowww…" the small voice continued.

"Sorry," I heard myself say softly. Small hands landed on my knees as my vision finally cleared.

"Sowwy," Danni said, looking at me and then at Bella. She climbed up onto the couch so that Bella was facing her from her seat on my lap and said it again.

"Sowwy. Sowwy, Be…," she broke off, not knowing how to say Bella's name.

"Bella," I whispered, turning to face her. She looked at me and nodded once, slowly.

"Sowwy, Bewa," she said. Bella didn't react, so she said it again. I could see her getting frustrated as Bella sat there, like she didn't even hear her.

She suddenly slid off the couch and ran over to the pile of stuffed animals she had gotten out. She dug through them rapidly as I started feeling Bella adjust herself in my lap. She lifted her head slowly, like it was taking everything she had just to do that small task and turned her head towards Danni. Danni, meanwhile, seemed to find what she was looking for and came running back over, clutching one of the animals tightly to her chest. She jumped up back up on the couch and Bella slowly turned her head back towards Danni again.

"Sowwy, Bewa," she repeated, extending her arms out towards Bella with the small animal in her hands. Bella's head moved until she was looking at the animal.

It was a small white bear, its glittery wings slightly extended to each side. A small gold halo was sewn to the top of its head and a sewn design of clouds was on its chest. It had a small black nose and black eyes, but every other part was pure white.

"Sowwy," she said again. A small smile started appearing on Bella's face as she reached for the bear. She cupped her hands in front of her and Danni set it down so that it was sitting in Bella's hands. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at it, making me wonder if she could actually see the little angel she was holding.

_Thank you, Danni_, Bella signed to her, her hand shaking. Danni sat down on the couch looking proud of herself, which made all of us laugh. Bella shook as she laughed, trying to keep herself together. She spread her arms to Danni and hugged her tightly to her chest, still laughing as she did so.

"Can you see it, Bella?" I asked quietly. She nodded slightly.

_It's an angel, isn't it?_ She signed, keeping one arm around Bella.

"Yeah," I said. "It's a little angel."

I looked between Danni and the bear, thinking that an angel is what we needed to get through what was about to happen. Alice and Jasper came into the room at that moment, Alice holding a piece of paper with a look on her face that told me I was more right than I wanted to be. She looked down at it and then back at us, slowly turning it so we could see the bolded message on the other side.

**YOU CHOSE WRONG.**

**A/N: So, almost didn't make putting this one up, but here it is. For those of you who haven't yet graduated from high school, take this advice: do not save everything for last minute. Also, the end of the year can get extremely busy and confusing, but don't sweat it.**

**These are the reasons why I'm having trouble updating, but this is my last full week of school and all of my testing will be done by Monday, so lots of free time will be at my disposal after that. Hopefully.**

**Anyway, the song for this chapter is Do or Die by Forever the Sickest Kids. Once again, only the title fits, so don't kill me for it.**

**Please review! I really love reading what you have to say and any ideas you have for the story are welcome. It's really starting to wind down, but I might be able to fit something in. :)**


	25. First Time

_First Time_

**EPOV**

"Where did you find that?" Carlisle asked, that being the first sentence spoken since Alice and Jasper walked in with the note.

"Outside. It was attached to a tree facing the house," Alice answered, visibly shaken. She bent the paper and made the holes left by tearing it down more obvious.

_How does he know already?_ Bella asked frantically. _We just decided this morning! How does he know?_

"The question might be more like how has he known all this time," I said. "We've never seen him, and yet he knows all about us."

"That's a good point," Carlisle said, "but do you remember what Bella said about him being able to look or _be_ anyone? We could have met him a long time ago and never known it." I nodded looking down at the floor. I tried to think of anyone we hadn't really gotten along with since Bella and I came to Forks, but only one face came to mind.

"It has to be Lucas," I whispered, talking to myself. Bella turned to me, hearing what I said. I felt the gazes of the others land on me as well, but only looked at her. Her gaze was questioning and I sighed heavily.

"It has to be him, Bella. Think about it. Who gave me trouble as soon as I started at Forks High? Who only got worse once I met you? Who was the person who constantly attacked us whenever we were together? _Who is the only person who seems to have a problem with us being together?_" I asked, not giving anyone any time to respond.

"You said he has powers, many of which you don't know about. Who's to say he didn't _see_ us getting together and decided to attack me before you even came to try to get me to keep to myself?" She nodded slowly, knowing I was right.

_But what about how he knows so soon? How can he possibly know that we are staying together when we haven't seen Lucas in so long?_ Bella asked.

"Who was it that mentioned your bond to him? That the only way to free you was to break that bond? Was it Billy?" I asked. "Well, whoever it was, maybe they gave us the answer to that. What if he can tell what's happening to you through that bond? What if he can read your emotions through that bond like Jasper can read ours with his power?" I finished, not noticing my voice rising as I spoke. She nodded again, closing her eyes as tears welled up again.

"And that would only be the best case scenario," I continued. "What if he can see what's happening _through your eyes_? Just like he was you? We don't know the extent of this bond between you two, but we _do_ know that it can be broken. All we have to do is find out how to break it."

_That's a lot easier said than done_, she responded. I gave a half chuckle and squeezed her once.

"We'll figure it out. Somehow, we'll do it," I said, trying to give her some hope after my pessimistic ranting. I looked at everyone else for the first time and saw determination in every single pair of golden eyes. I gave a sad smile, knowing it wasn't going to be easy for us, but our family was behind us in this. As far as I was concerned, that's all we needed.

The next day was December 22, and the whole day was spent decorating the house. Jasper, Carlisle, Emmett and I got all of the boxes of decorations from the attic and the girls decorated. Danni tried to help and Bella raised her up whenever something was too high for her. I was just handing different things out and watching as all of them agreed on where one little thing should go. I told Danni what each thing was as I handed them to her and she attempted to say their names until she got close. We stopped around noon so Danni and I could have lunch, Esme insisting on making it, before we finished downstairs and went upstairs.

Each of the bedrooms was decorated by the people who slept in it, but most of the decorating was done on the first floor. We were done by eight o'clock that, but it was worth it. The whole house, inside and out, looked like something out of a Christmas movie.

There were lights outlining the ceiling, the ones in the living room flashing every now and then. Garland was hung from the ceiling as well, like sparkling vines weaving around the room. There were also strands draped across the windows and doorways. Everything was either green and red or draped over by something those colors, transforming the house into a fairytale. Danni came running over and grabbed my pant leg, shaking me to get my attention.

_What about the tree?_ She signed after she let go.

I looked at Esme, who pointed at the door just as it opened and Jasper walked in. He was followed by a huge green pine tree and Emmett's triumphant face as he looked at everyone else. Danni squealed and ran over to him, her head barely meeting the bottom of the tree branches hanging from Emmett's shoulder. She threw her arms out in exclamation and came running back over, pulling on my pant leg and pointing frantically.

_Is that ours? It's so big! What are we going to put on it?_ She asked, not giving any of us enough time to answer. I had to resort to grabbing her hands to get her to stop. I gave her a questioning look and she looked back innocently. I smiled and shook my head, slowly letting go of her hands in case she tried to go off again.

"What are _you_ going to put on it?" I asked her. She looked at me wide-eyed and then turned to everyone else. They just smiled at her and Esme gestured to the boxes full of decorations.

Danni squealed and ran over, going up on her tip-toes to look in each of the boxes. She grabbed something out of one and ran over to another, not pausing as she started collecting what she wanted. Her arms quickly filled and she put what she had collected in a careful pile on the floor. She kept running from box to box, stopping only to put her choices down so she could pick more.

She paused at one box, her hands clenching the sides as she made a surprised sound. She reached in slowly, like it was something delicate, and Esme leaned over to see what she had found. She smiled, expressing an old sadness, but didn't say anything about it. When Danni pulled it out, all of us but Esme and Bella reacted the same way she did.

It was a brilliant silver and gold star. The main part of the star was silver with shiny gold garland outlining the outside. There was a small set of gold angel's wings set in the middle of the star and a silver halo around the top point. Little Christmas bulbs were hidden in the silver and gold garland, with the outer bulbs ranging in color. The center bulbs were clear or tinted yellow to make a soft gold color when they were turned on.

"Oh, it's gorgeous!" Alice exclaimed breathlessly. Danni walked over and held it up to me, her eyes asking. I looked at Esme, who smiled and nodded once. Carlisle walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, her eyes watching something only she could see. The rest of us looked away, letting her have her moment.

"Is that the one you want to use?" I asked Danni. She nodded enthusiastically and I smiled softly. "Put it on the counter and we'll put everything else on first. This way there's no chance of it being damaged while we're decorating the rest of the tree." She nodded and Carlisle took it from her, slowly setting it down behind him.

She took my hand and pulled me over to her piles. She let go of my hand and did the same to Bella, making her stand next to me. She grabbed us and pulled us down with her so that we were at her level and started sorting her one large pile into smaller ones. She moved one small pile towards Bella and another towards me. She kept a pile next to her and made two others off to the side. There didn't seem to be any connection between the items she grouped together, but I just decided to let her be.

_Edward, you are going to put those ones on the tree_, she signed, pointing to my pile. I nodded and she turned towards Bella. _And I want you to put these ones up._ Bella smiled and nodded, even though it looked like she could barely see what Danni was signing. I told myself to ask her about it later and focused on the task Danni had just given to me.

I picked up a couple of the ornaments in my pile and went over to the tree. Bella followed suit, slowly feeling the separate ornaments for their hooks. I started hanging them, moving this way and that around the tree until I was on my last. I looked over at Bella, who was feeling for a free branch, and then at her pile. It was still mostly full.

"Do you want help?" I asked, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned towards me and nodded, her eyes searching more frantically than usual. I watched her for a few seconds and noticed her hands shaking slightly. I couldn't hear her breathing, but it seemed like she was breathing faster, like she was panicking.

"Bella, are you okay?" I whispered softly. She nodded sharply, but she looked down towards her feet. I wasn't convinced, but I let it go for now.

I kissed her cheek and she smiled before turning back to her evasive branch. We finished up her pile together and Danni helped with the last few. She stood back and gave the tree a once-over before turning around. She scanned the stacks of boxes, like she was looking through their contents with her mind, and ran over to one on the far side. She moved the boxes in front and took the one off the top and searched until she had what she was looking for.

She came back with a large bag of silver tinsel and raised it up to me, asking if we could use it. I looked at Carlisle and Esme, who just waved their hands to give the go-ahead, and smiled at Danni. She handed me the bag and observed as I put the tinsel on. She tugged on my shirt when I put enough in a certain spot and pointed at areas that didn't have enough.

We ended up using half the bag before she was satisfied and Emmett lifted her onto his shoulders so she could set the star on top. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. I handed her the star and she took it carefully, cradling it in her arms as Emmett carefully moved to the right spot for her to put it on. She raised it up and moved the small elastic band around the top of the tree to secure it. Alice reached up towards her with an extension cord and Danni attached it to the small plug. Esme walked over and flipped the switch once Danni had moved her hands away and the room was filled with a soft golden glow, even with the sunlight streaming through the windows.

"It's beautiful, Danni," I said, moving next to Emmett so I could look at her. She tilted her head to the side in confusion. I smiled and repeated myself, signing so that the words and motions matched up. Comprehension dawned across her face and she nodded enthusiastically, looking back at her masterpiece. Emmett moved her onto my shoulders and she squealed in surprise. She laughed and hugged my head once she realized what was going on and I chuckled, patting her leg. She then proceeded to mess with my hair, pulling on the parts that had decided to rebel. She laughed every time I flinched and I gave Emmett a warning look as his booming laughter filled the living room.

"What?" he asked innocently, the mischievous spark in his eyes telling me he knew what I meant. Bella walked over and linked her arm through mine, her hand lightly grabbing my arm before she slipped it through. I looked at her worriedly and Esme gently took Danni from my shoulders.

"Do you want to help me make some cookies, dear?" Esme asked her, surprising both of us by signing. Danni smiled and clapped her hands, nodding her head repeatedly. She took Esme's hand and skipped into the kitchen.

I entwined my fingers with Bella's and gently pulled her towards my room. She didn't resist, hanging her head as we walked. I looked back at the others and saw worry on each of their faces, all of them noticing the same changes in Bella that I had. I pulled her in after me and shut the door slowly.

She let go of my hand, letting her fingers slide through mine as she walked over to the bed. She sat in the middle of the bed and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and burying her face. Her body shook with constricted sobs and I sat next to her. I put my arms around her and she leaned into me, turning her face into my shoulder. I gently moved her so that she was sitting in my lap.

"Bella, please tell me what's wrong," I pleaded into her hair. She brought her arms out so I could see her hands, but she was shaking too much to sign. I gently brought her arms back against her and hugged her tightly to me. Her reaction to whatever was going on worried me, but I wasn't going to pressure her. I could tell that she wanted to tell me, but she couldn't. At least not right now.

So I held her. I held her as she cried. I held her as she fought with her emotions. I held her as she wrestled with whatever had consumed her so fully. I held her as she fought with herself to tell me what was wrong.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head and then her forehead. She turned her face up and caught my lips with hers, frantically kissing my mouth like it would be the last time. She cupped the side of my face with her hand, not letting me turn away, so I kissed her back. I kissed her until she collapsed into tears again, my breath ragged. I took her face in my hands and turned her towards me, wiping at the tears pouring down her face.

"He's coming, isn't he?" I whispered. She closed her eyes tightly and nodded. She tried to look down again, but I didn't let her.

"Your vision is getting worse as he gets closer, isn't it?" She nodded again, but didn't open her eyes.

"Bella, how bad is it?" I asked her gently, rubbing her cheeks with my thumbs. She leaned back and I let my hands drop to her sides. She wiped the stray tears from her face and opened her eyes. Her hands were still shaking when she raised them, but she tried anyway.

_I can't see anything now…Just blurs of grey, black, and white…No shapes...And everything is getting darker by the minute…_ she signed. I took her hands in mine and kissed her fingers. I kept them against my chest as she laid her head on my shoulder and looked out my window. A bright pink sunset streamed in through the paned glass and I could smell Esme and Danni's baking downstairs.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you. You or anyone else. I promise you that. He'll pay for what he's done to you and Danni," I said quietly. I didn't think I convinced her, but she just nodded her head and buried her face into my neck.

I felt her press her lips to my skin and heard Alice's voice outside. She was telling Danni that they were going to play with her for a while. Bella kept moving her lips around my neck, making it impossible for me to think about anything but her. I let out an involuntary groan and she smiled against me. Two and two finally clicked together and I froze, understanding what she was doing. She felt my tension and drew back, her almost sightless eyes pleading with me.

_Please…While we still have the chance…While I can still see…_ I hesitated for only a second before bringing my mouth to hers. She gently pushed me back so that I was laying down and settled herself on top of me.

Bella and I took what could have been our last chance to be together that night. It was one thing that nothing would ever take from me, nothing I would ever forget.

**APOV**

I looked up at their bedroom window and then at Jasper. I smirked at him and he smiled back, looking over to where Danni was playing with Emmett. I wrapped my arms around him from behind and he put his hands over mine.

"I told you," I whispered into his back.

"This is why I never doubt you," he said. I hummed in victory.

"I just hope it helps. We don't know what we're up against here, and from what I can tell, we only have two days to figure it out. And that's two days at best, one at the worst." I sighed and Jasper pulled me around so I was in front of him.

"It makes sense that it would. Their pasts, their friendship, their restrictions, their need for acceptance…All of those things brought them to this point. Maybe all they need to win this is each other. If that's the case, now they're as close as they can ever get," he said. I laced my fingers together behind his neck and leaned back.

"I think that's the most you've said in a long time," I said, half laughing. He smiled and laughed, hugging me to his chest and pressing his lips against mine. I leaned back and looked at him.

"Come on. We have a child to entertain."

**A/N: SOOOOOOOOOO sorry for the wait, but the past few weeks have been ridiculous. The good thing is my graduation was Saturday, so I'm officially DONE with high school. Hopefully this frees up more time, but I can't promise anything.**

**Also, I tried to keep it as close to T rating as I could, so please let me know if it went a little far. It was barely anything, but I just want to be sure.**

**The song for this admittedly shorter chapter is First Time by Lifehouse.**

**Please review!**

**Class of 2K10! 3**


	26. Sick Little Games

_Sick Little Games_

**EPOV**

It happened the next day.

I woke up to Bella crying and shaking next to me, her hands roaming my face as she searched for me with her eyes. Tears were streaming endlessly down her face, but she didn't blink or try to wipe them away. The whole top of her shirt was wet with them. Her eyes were open wide and she was breathless with terror. I wrapped my arms around her trembling form and held her to me, her tear-soaked face against my chest. She kept shaking her head back and forth, but she didn't make a sound.

Esme's worried face appeared around the side of the door. She asked what was going on with her eyes, and I just closed mine and shook my head. I knew she would understand. She disappeared back into the hallway, closing the door behind her, probably to fill everyone else in. My guess was proven right when the door opened again, except with Carlisle coming in. The others followed in behind. Danni came in last, holding Alice's hand. She saw Bella and immediately ran over, almost forgetting to let go of Alice's hand.

_What happened, Bella?_ She signed to her, even though Bella wasn't looking. Danni looked at me when Bella didn't respond. I patted the bed and she climbed up next to us, still waiting for an answer.

"Bella can't see anymore, Danni," I told her out loud, pointing to my eye and shaking my head so that she would understand. The small "o" her mouth made told me she did.

_Why?_ She asked after a few seconds. I sighed and looked at Carlisle, not knowing how I should answer her. He just shrugged and jerked his head towards Danni.

Whatever I thought she could handle.

Great, thanks for the help. I sighed again and turned back towards her. She hadn't looked away the whole time. I really didn't know what she could handle, so I decided to only tell her the least that I could and still answer her question. I looked down at Bella, who had stopped trembling so much, and loosened my hold on her so that I could sign to Danni. Her only response was to push her face harder into my neck and wrap her arms around me. Her grip was tight but tolerable, if only for a short period of time.

"Danni, Bella has had trouble seeing for a while now," I started, pausing to make sure she was following along. She nodded to me, so I continued. "She could only see shapes and black, white, and grey. Her sight was getting worse yesterday, and now it's gone. She can't see anything anymore." Danni nodded slowly, thinking about what I had told her. She looked at Bella and abruptly raised her face back to me.

_I can tell that you aren't saying everything, Edward. I'm not dumb_, she signed, her eyes narrowed just slightly enough to make her look serious. I shot Carlisle a look and he just shrugged again.

"I'd rather you didn't have to mention us, but you can tell her what's going on," he finally said.

"Bella's story?" I asked slowly. He shrugged and nodded.

"Why not? He dragged her into this, so she might as well know what's going on. I'd rather she didn't hear such things at her age, but we don't have much of a choice." I nodded, understanding his feelings about it, and turned back to Danni.

I told her the whole story. The good, the bad, and everything in between. I didn't leave anything out and she didn't interrupt the whole time. Sympathy and anger flashed across her young face as I told her what happened to Bella with Logan, but she didn't react in any way to the secret of the Cullens or Bella. She seemed to accept what they were just as easily as if I told her the sky was blue. She just looked at me as I sat back and wrapped my arms around Bella, who had placed her hands over her ears at some point. She slowly took them away, like she was making sure I was finished. I petted her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I whispered to her. "I wasn't thinking." She just shook her head and relaxed her body against me. I kissed the top of her head again and she closed her eyes as I looked at Danni again. She seemed to be thinking through everything I had told her, and I could see a question in her eyes as she returned my gaze.

_So this mean man is coming here?_ She asked. I nodded.

"He could already be here for all we know. All I'm sure of is that I'm sick of falling into his plans like this is some kind of game. Maybe it is to him, but I'm done playing. He's playing with Bella's emotions through us and her past, and it's going to stop."

"But _how_, Edward?" Alice asked. I looked at her face and saw that she really was looking for a solution.

But I didn't have one.

The only possible action we had was useless now that we had so little time. It would take three days to change me, and we only had two at the most. That still didn't help protect Danni at all. I looked at Danni's confused face and then at Esme. She seemed to know what I was thinking.

"Her and her mother weren't around this area long enough to make any relationships. Neither of them have friends in the area, and we know about their family already. I don't know what we can do with her, Edward," she finished, noticeably upset. I sighed.

"I was afraid of that. Do you think it would be safe to hide her here?" I asked, looking between Esme and Carlisle. The look they gave each other was not reassuring.

"There's no guarantee," Carlisle answered. "There's a slight chance he won't go looking for her, but he seems set on having the three of you. We won't even know when he's coming so we could hide her in time." I nodded again, knowing he was telling the truth. I turned to Alice, but she already knew what I was going to ask.

"He's staying undecided. I don't know if he know about my power, but he's leaving everything for spur-of-the-moment decisions. I can only tell you once I find out, but he's not giving us a lot of time to react," she answered in a rush.

I sighed and closed my eyes, letting my head fall back. Bella's tears were drying on my bare skin and Danni was trying to comfort her even though they couldn't talk to each other anymore. She was trying to talk to her, but everything came out as only half words or babble in her haste to tell Bella what she was thinking. Bella just smiled sadly at her, unable to find her face in the darkness before her eyes.

"Danni, slow down so we can understand," I said, unable to keep a smile off my face. She smiled back, embarrassed, and started again.

"This meanie isn't gonna hurt you anymore, Bewa," she said slowly, her words slurring only a little. "We gonna make sure he goes away and neva comes back here eva again. Edward won't let him hurt you, Bewa." Bella smiled and hugged Danni, kissing her forehead.

_Thank you, Danni_, Bella said, leaving out the fear and worry she was showing me in her eyes. She kept hugging Danni until she got herself under control so that Danni wouldn't see and know there was more. She finally let her go just as my head felt like it was splitting open.

I let go of Bella and grabbed my head, my eyes bulging with the pain. I ground my teeth so I wouldn't cry out, but it was no use. I groaned in pain, my body leaning to one side as all of my focus went to the pain in my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and felt someone grabbing me, trying to sit me back up, but they couldn't. Someone yelled something, but I couldn't tell what it was. Another set of hands grabbed me, first my shoulder, the middle of my back, and then their arm was across my back. Their other hand went to my opposite shoulder and pushed back. They lay me down on my back and their hands went to my face. I heard voices but everything disappeared as the pain increased even more. I cried out again and again, but it didn't stop. It didn't feel like it would ever stop.

_The son of Satan is coming…and there is nothing anyone can do to stop him…The game will be over soon enough…and you will play the part given to you…_

The voice roared through my head like a freight train. It even felt like my head was rattling as it went through, causing the pain to spiral even higher. I screamed as loud as I could and collapsed against the bed, dragging in my breaths like they were my last. My arms fell to my sides and I couldn't move. I didn't try.

The sounds around me slowly became understandable again, my I kept my eyes closed. Someone was wiping the sweat-soaked hair from my face, running their hands over my face like they couldn't see me. Small hands were on my chest, one of them patting me impatiently. Two fingers pressed against the side of my neck as the hands continued to rub my face and hair.

"Edward?" someone's voice said. They sounded so far away…I tried to answer in some way, but my body didn't move. Jasper must have felt my frustration.

"He seems okay, but I don't think he can answer right now, Carlisle," he said, his voice barely making it to my ears.

"You're probably right," Carlisle answered, his fingers leaving my neck. "His heartbeat is still rapid, but it's slowing. After some sleep he should be fine." I heard someone sigh in relief above me and cool lips press against my forehead. Bella pressed her forehead to mine and she sighed again, making me smile even if it was only in my head.

_I really do love you, Bella…_I told her in my head. There was only a faint echo left of the pain I had felt, like the ache after a fall. I heard Bella suck in a breath after I thought that and she kissed my forehead again, a smile on her lips. My mind started fading fast as I lost consciousness, but I could have sworn I heard her say the same.

**BPOV**

I lay next to him while he slept, moving to his other side when everyone walked out. I had to feel my way around to the other side of the bed, but I didn't care. I took his arm and put it around me as I put my head on his chest, his heart beating strongly in my ear. It was the only way I could make sure he was okay now.

Carlisle came in a while later, saying my name so that I knew who it was. I heard him walk closer, but I couldn't tell what he was doing. I guessed that he was checking on Edward. He walked over to me after a few minutes, walking slightly louder than normal now, and stopped next to me. I rolled over a little so that I was facing his general direction, but not so much that I couldn't hear Edward's heart in my ear.

"You should really go hunting, Bella. Before all of this starts," he said quietly, knowing I would protest. I started to before I remembered Edward wasn't awake to translate. I sighed in frustration.

"Bella, you need to be strong for this. He wants to believe he'll be protecting you, but the two of us know what's really going to happen," he said gently. I closed my eyes and nodded.

"I'll stay with him until you come back. There's no need to worry." I nodded and sat up, moving Edward's arm so it was across his stomach. I kissed his forehead lightly, not liking the slightly high temperature of his skin, and offered my hand to Carlisle. He placed his hand in mine and I put his palm to Edward's forehead.

"Hmm…" he said, recognizing what I was doing. "He doesn't feel feverish, but his is a little warm. I'll turn his ceiling fan on, but it doesn't seem high enough to cause us any concern. I will keep an eye on him all the same." I nodded and let him go. I heard him open the window and followed the sound, stopping when I could just barely feel the wall against the tips of my bare feet.

"If you jump out and head left, Alice is waiting out there so you don't get lost in the woods. I'm sure you could get back by yourself, but we don't want anyone leaving the house alone. You heard what that voice said, didn't you?" he asked. I nodded. It was the first time any of us had mentioned those words since Edward passed out. I knew we would discuss it once he woke up. Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed once before he let go.

I jumped out the window and landed lightly on the grass below. I started walking towards my left, still heading away from the house, and heard approaching footsteps. I stopped and turned towards the sound, smiling at the dancing pixie steps. Alice linked her arm through mine and steered me towards where we were going.

"So, I know you don't actually kill the animals you drink from. I'm guessing you're not going to change that today?" she asked. I smiled and shook my head, still looking straight since I couldn't see her anyway. "Okay then! To the clearing we go!"

She grabbed my hand and ran tugging me along with her. She squeezed the side of my hand in the direction I had to move and we made it to the clearing without running into anything. Alice stopped and pushed me forward gently.

I counted my steps and stopped in the middle of the field. I closed my eyes and hung my head, letting my need filter through the forest surrounding me. It only took a minute or two to find the deer I needed and he immediately started making his way towards me from his herd. I kneeled down, keeping my head down, and listened to the crunching of the leaves as he approached. It got louder and louder until it suddenly stopped and he grunted in my ear. I smiled and turned slightly looking where I thought his head was. I put my hand out and he pushed the side of his face into it, making me laugh.

_I can't even see you anymore, my friend,_ I thought to him sadly, even though he couldn't hear it.

I felt him lay down next to me and slowly turned his head until my hand brushed against his neck. I moved my hand to his neck and felt him stretch it out to give me room. I felt around for the spot I had used before so that he wouldn't be covered in scars and parted the hair growing around it. I ran my tongue over my fangs and felt them elongate in my mouth. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his neck before opening my mouth and biting him.

He only flinched a little and sat there patiently until I pulled away. I pressed my hand to the bite marks for a minute to stop the bleeding. When I was sure it had stopped, I petted the hair back into place and stood up. He stood up with me, his steps a little shaky at first. I felt the tip of his antler against my arm and felt them down to his head. They felt like they had gotten bigger and I smiled, understanding that he was bragging. I petted him between the antlers and gently pushed him back the way he had come. I heard his pace increase as he ran back to his herd and light dancer's steps come up behind me.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in my life," she said, her voice exposing her shock. "It's like he understands exactly what you need." I laughed silently and nodded once.

"Really?" she asked, sounding like she didn't believe me. I nodded again and started back for the house. Alice silently grabbed my hand and we ran back, only Alice's changing pressure on my hand keeping me safe in my darkness.

Alice slowed once we broke into the clearing around the house, letting me know we were back. I could feel someone's gaze as we approached, but they didn't say anything. Alice squeezed my hand and I stopped, feeling her let go and walk to whoever it was standing there. I didn't have to wait long to find out who it was.

"Jazzy, I've never seen anyone feed like she does! It's like the animals understand what she needs! She uses her feelings and they come to help her and she just takes what she needs from them!" Alice explained hurriedly.

"Is that true, Bella?" he asked me. "They can understand your feelings?" I nodded, smiling shyly.

"That's amazing…I thought it was just us who could feel your emotions…Well, us and humans," he corrected. I just shrugged, not being able to say much more. They led me inside, Alice walking just ahead of me so that our arms brushed as we walked. I kept my fingers of my other hand slightly out so that they brushed the wall and knew when we reached the living room when it disappeared. Alice started moving towards the left, towards Edward's room, and I followed by keeping touch as we walked.

"Esme, Rose, and Emmett went hunting. Carlisle, Alice, and I are going to go as soon as they get back. We weren't going to leave Danni and Edward here with just one of us," Jasper said from a slight distance in front of me. I felt a wall next to me again and started walking faster, knowing exactly the number of steps to Edward's door.

I felt myself walk by Alice and Jasper, so they must have guessed I knew my way from there. When I knew I was past them, I put my arms out to both sides until my hands brushed the walls. I hit the door molding with my left hand just as I was thinking I went too far and turned, sticking close to that side of the door so I wouldn't run into the other side.

I heard someone stand and assumed it was Carlisle. I kept walking towards where I guessed the bed was and smiled when my knees bumped into the side. I sat down slowly and put my hand on Edward's arm. He didn't feel nearly as warm as he had when I left and I sighed in relief.

"I told you it was nothing to worry about, didn't I?" Carlisle whispered from behind me. I laughed and nodded. Edward's arm twitched suddenly in my grip and I heard the voice I had been longing to all day.

"Bella…" Edward's hoarse voice whispered. I hastily grabbed his hand and pressed his knuckles to my lips. I felt him moving around and his other hand found its way to my face. His thumb caressed my cheek and he whispered my name again.

_You scared me_, I signed to him, hoping his eyes were open. His chuckle told me they were.

"I think I scared myself," he said and sighed. "That hurt…"

I smiled sadly and reached my hand towards his face. My fingertips met his hair and I let them wander his face, brushing over his skin like a feather. He sighed again, my hearing almost missing the sound of the door closing. My fingers brushed against his lips and I lay down next to him. He turned his head and kissed my forehead.

"So did everyone hear?" he asked, his voice slowly improving. I closed my eyes and nodded. He wrapped his arms around me and didn't say anymore. I just tucked my head under his chin and we laid there until we heard the others come back. Carlisle came back and got us.

"I think we have something to talk about now," he said, his footsteps slowly approaching the bed. Edward nodded and started getting up, but fell back.

"Ugh…hold on a second," he said. I put my hand on his face again and felt his holding his head. "Just a little dizzy."

I smiled to myself and sat up, putting one leg under his back and bending my knee so he was sitting up a little. He took my hand with the one that wasn't holding his head and squeezed it when it was okay to sit him up more. When he as finally sitting up all the way, I put my hand on his back and helped him move forward to the edge of the bed.

"It's like when we first met all over again," Edward said, sounding surprisingly good-natured. I smiled and nodded, laughing when he quickly pressed his lips against mine.

I nodded my head towards the door and stood up next to the bed. I wrapped my arm around his waist and slowly helped him stand up, his arm draped over my shoulder. I paused once when he let out a half groan, but he stood up without much trouble after that. We walked into the living room, our arms still around each other, him steering me and me making sure he didn't fall. He sat us down on the couch and I leaned into him, not having anything better to do since I still couldn't see. I felt a little body sit on the floor in front of us and lean against our legs and smiled. I petted Danni's head as we sat there, waiting for someone to start. Carlisle, as expected, took over.

"So the message was basically self-explanatory," Carlisle's voice started. There were sounds of agreement before he continued. "Now, at least, we know who we are dealing with. The devil's son, Satan's spawn, has been playing his games again." My head shot up at this, along with a few others.

"Carlisle, what do you mean by _again_?" Edward asked hesitantly. I heard someone sigh and guessed it was Carlisle.

"I hate to say it, but this isn't the first time I've heard of the Reapers. The first few days after I was changed, my sire was approached by a strange vampire. They talked about mysterious powers that seemed to control the human themselves, instead of just the mind. This is the same as it was back then, only this time his target is someone he wasn't finished with. I don't think he meant to change you, Bella," Carlisle said. I nodded.

_He meant to kill me_, I responded, poking Edward in the ribs when he didn't translate. I knew how he felt, but this wasn't the time for that.

"I hadn't heard of another situation after that first time until now," Carlisle continued. "I can only assume that, unless he is defeated, he will keep going after humans for years to come, any time he pleases."

There was a large crash outside and I stood up, feeling Edward do the same next to me. I couldn't tell what the crash was, but I could smell dust in the air. The air current suddenly changed and the smell of dust disappeared, a breeze pulling towards where the front door was. I grabbed onto Edward's arm as my vision abruptly cleared, better than it had been since I lost it almost a year ago, revealing a large hole where the door had been and a figure I never wished to see again standing in it.

"You are exactly right, and there is nothing _any_ of you can do to stop me." It was my worst nightmare come alive.

Logan was back.

**A/N:** **I updated on time! WOOOOOOOOO! …Anyway…So we are finally getting to the battle. It'll definitely be in the next chapter, which I hope to update on time, but I'm going on vacation for 3 weeks. If I don't get it up before then, I'll try to get it up while I'm away or as soon as I get back. I really hope to not make you wait that long.**

**Just to let all of you know, I'm only seeing 2 more chapters to this story, maybe 3. The next story going up is going to be the new Infectious. I put the new summary up under New Story Ideas on my profile, so you can go check it out. The order of those summaries is the order in which the stories will be posted, but I'm not going to have more than 1 story going at a time.**

**The song for this chapter is Sick Little Games by All Time Low. I'd have to say the title fits well…**

**Please review! I'd love to hear how you think this is going to turn out and I'm open to any ideas! I pretty much know how it's going to go, but I can try to fit an idea or 2 from you guys in!**


	27. Angel

_Angel_

**EPOV**

Lucas was standing in what used to be the doorway. He had a sly, arrogant smile on his face and was looking at Bella possessively. I immediately moved next to her and glared at him.

Our suspicions about him had been confirmed. This whole time, it was him. Bella had told us that he could have been anyone, and she was right. He was the one person none of us liked, but we hadn't suspected him all that much until recently. Now we had no choice. The proof was right in front of us.

"Surprised, Cullen?" he sneered, looking at me. I felt Danni grab onto my leg and put an arm around her. He moved his gaze to her for a second before looking back at me.

"Not as much as you might have wanted, _Lucas_," I said, my anger almost slurring my words. Bella tensed next to me and I looked down. There was confusion in her eyes.

"Your Logan is our Lucas, Bella," I said, her confusion turning to shock and resigned understanding. There was also underlying fear. She was feeling the same way I was.

"Sorry to interrupt-well…not really, but anyway, I have some business to take care of," Lucas/Logan said, turning to Bella once more. She looked at him and I watched as her eyes suddenly cleared as soon as she did so. Her eyes didn't move around while she was looking at him like they did with me.

She could see him.

Lucas brought me out of my discovery with a laugh. I looked at him and he was still sneering at me, apparently knowing what I realized. My anger bubbled higher as I watched him turn once again towards Bella, looking at her like she was an object to be collected. It clicked just then, with everything he's said, the way he always called her "my Bella." To him, she was just something else he wanted, and he was going to do anything he wanted to get her. He beckoned to her like a dog, pointing at her and curling his finger towards him.

"Come here, my Bella. Let's get this over with," Lucas said. She moved closer to me and half hid her face in my shirt. Fury flashed through Lucas's eyes and his hand tensed into a fist. I gently pushed Danni behind me she backed away towards the others. But Lucas wasn't paying any attention to her. He only had eyes for Bella and me.

"Come here, _now_," he whispered menacingly. Bella shook her head against me and I turned so that my body was placed more between them. This only infuriated him more, him growling at us and exposing his fangs. I heard Danni make a sound of fright, but she was quietly shushed.

Lucas roared and his whole body tensed. Both of his hands curled into tight fists and his body started glowing with a dark light. He was outlined in white light while his body seemed to get darker. Everything around us blacked out as his body darkened, but I could still see everyone. Bella was looking around and her body's outline left a white blur that faded a few seconds later.

"What's going on?" I whispered to her, afraid to make any more noise than necessary. She started at the sound of my voice in the quiet but answered.

_He expanded his ability to see souls. Now all of us are in it. When I put yours back, I had to change my vision. He brought all of us straight into it instead. I just don't understand why everything is so dark. It shouldn't be like this_, she said, her fear making her hands shake.

"It's because he's a murderer," I said, somehow knowing it was the truth. She didn't respond, but looked back at where Lucas was standing. The white light around him had expanded as well, but it was tinted with black. It was shaped like him, except magnified, like it was his shadow standing behind him.

_It's his soul_, Bella signed quickly, answering my unspoken question.

I looked down at my own hand and moved it, watching as a white blur followed. The faster I moved, the longer the blur was, but it always faded back towards my hand, like it was being absorbed. It actually moved a lot like mist. I moved my hand towards Bella and it froze, my hand freezing with it. The white mist was still there, but it wasn't moving. It was like someone grabbed hold of it, like a thin piece of white fabric. I tried to move my hand, but nothing happened. I tried to move anything, but my body stayed completely still.

"I warned you what would happen if you did not listen to me, my Bella," Lucas said. "I warned _both_ of you, but neither of you listened. Now you will pay. You thought you could just run away from me, but I was never too far behind. It was like a game, chasing you all over and watching your shock when I showed up again. I, the son of Satan, always get my way, and this will be no different. You are mine, Bella, and I will have you. You will never get away, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. You, or your little human toy."

Lucas stood up straight, his soul copying his movement. He sneered at us and I watched, horrified, as two points slowly grew on top of his soul's head, turning and bending like Devil's horns. He put his left arm out to the side slowly and a long rod formed in the left hand of his soul. The top end split into three sections, the outer two curving out slightly before going straight up, and each of those ends fanning out into a pointed arrow.

It was a Devil's pitchfork.

"Now, Bella," Lucas said. "Are you going to come quietly, or am I going to have to get you?" I glanced at Bella, still unable to move my body, and saw her staring at the exposed piece of my soul. It looked like someone was pulling on it.

I brought my eyes back to Lucas to see his hand outstretched towards me, his hand fisted like he was holding on something. His soul did the same, the swirling mist of a hand grabbing onto my soul. I heard Bella gasp, but couldn't take my eyes off that hand. As soon as it grabbed on, it felt like someone was trying to rip me apart, rip my insides out. I couldn't make a sound, but I was on the verge of screaming on the inside. The only tip off that I was in pain was the sound of my ragged breathing and maybe in my eyes, but thankfully Bella couldn't see that.

"Oh, that is a great idea, Edward!" Lucas exclaimed darkly. I looked at him, hoping he hadn't heard what I thought. But I was wrong.

"I heard what you said, all right, and it is a very good idea. Why make Bella only _hear_ your distress when _seeing_ it may make her choose correctly? Of course, her little blood promise won't let me give it all back, but it will be enough, I believe." He raised his other hand and snapped his fingers, the echo from his soul reverberating around my skull and increasing my pain.

I felt Bella's hands fall from me and looked to see her on the ground holding her head. She still wasn't making any sound, but she was blinking like she was clearing something from her eyes. She was gasping for breath by the time she let go of her head and she stood up slowly, her eyes trained on me the whole time. She reached up and put a hand on the side of my face, her regret and pain showing in her eyes. They still looked the same as they did before, but I could tell she could see better than she had.

"Now the real show can begin," Lucas said, breaking our locked gazes. We both looked at him, only I was still frozen all except for my eyes.

His was radiating fury again as he stared us down, and I quickly realized that any contact between Bella and I practically drove him off the deep end. I could see immense fear in Bella's eyes when I glanced at her, but she didn't take her hand away. My body and mind had numbed without the pain increasing, but a fire erupted through my body at that point as soon as he started pulling with his soul again.

He almost teleported next to me because of how fast he moved, and before I knew it his hand was around my neck and I was sailing through a hole, heading for trees. I heard people screaming my name, but my body wouldn't respond. Lucas had let go of my soul and brought us back to our world just to use everything there against me. The hand of his soul shot out at me, grabbing onto mine just as I was about to collide with a tree. He pulled back sharply, causing me to cry out in pain. The whiplash pulled something out of place in my back, causing me to crash into the ground when he let go again. Someone roughly grabbed the hair on the back of my head and lifted me off the ground. I opened my eyes to see Lucas's sneering face, his fangs poking out of his mouth. I saw his soul still shadowing him and my mind drew a blank. He laughed, noticing my confusion among the immense levels of pain.

"I see we have a few questions, Cullen. So, I guess we'll take a seat while I explain things to your simple mind." He turned me so that I was facing the others and all of them almost broke down, Jasper and Emmett bracing themselves while Esme and Alice turned Danni away. Bella was staring blankly, her eyes spilling enough tears for all of them. He roughly turned me back towards him, looked at me thoughtfully, and then turned me back. He punched me in the back, right where my pain was coming from, and laughed as I screamed.

"I think I broke him already," he said, like a child who broke a new toy. "Oh, well. We can always get you a new one once this is done, Bella." He threw me in their directly by my hair, letting go just as it would have ripped out of my head, and I collided with a hard, cool body.

Bella gently kneeled down, laying me on the ground and turning my head so I was facing her. Tears were still cascading down her face, but she didn't look away, not even when he started talking again. I could still see him a little from the corner of my eye.

"So, question one was how I was able to know everything that was going on, right? Well, that's simple," he rattled, not letting anyone confirm or deny his questions. "You actually figured it out. My bond with my Bella as her sire allows me into her mind. It also makes tracking a heck of a lot easier since I can always tell where she is in relation to me."

"Question two was something about who I was, but we've already been through that and I don't want to repeat myself. It gets boring. As to how it seems like we are back at your shack even though we are not, we'll just leave it at I'm just that strong. I can make it look like we are anywhere I want us to be." A cocky smile flashed across his face before he continued, walking back and forth in front of us like he had better things to do than explain such simple things to us. He made his soul stand still where it was, just to prove his point.

"Question three was what the Reapers are, I believe. Put simply," he said, pausing. Something grabbed my face and snapped my head around so I was facing Lucas. It turned out to be Lucas himself. He was smiling evilly at me when he finished his thought.

"We are the Angels of Death." He let go of my face and sauntered away, turning back to us and crossing his arms over his chest. "The Reapers are basically the minions of the Grim Reaper himself, since he can't bring death to all those who need and deserve it at one time. He, in turn, is a minion of my father, who designates who dies and what their punishment in Hell is." This topic seemed to bore him, but one look at our enraptured faces and he continued on.

"I, being Satan's son, chose my position and do what I please in it. I chose to be the Grim Reaper." He paused for dramatic effect and sneered at me again. I could tell he couldn't wait to finish me off.

"All of the Reapers are vampires, but we are a different kind. We can feed off blood just like a normal vampire, but we have power over souls. When a Reaper takes a ready and willing soul, it's like an extremely successful hunting trip. When we take them _unwillingly_, it's like the first feeding all over again, except better." He sneered at me again, making me wonder why he even bothered to look away. He looked just above me then, most likely at Bella.

"I will make sure you know what it feels like, my Bella." Her hand attached to my arm and tightened, but not enough to increase the wildfire of pain burning my insides and leaving me unable to move. A white hot flash went through my back, reminding me of another time my pain had been this bad.

The accident.

I felt tears gather in my eyes as I came to this conclusion. Lucas had paralyzed me again, his punch to my back making sure the job was done. I tried to move my arm, tried to see how badly I was trapped in my own body again, and almost went into a panicked frenzy before my finger twitched. It was just slight, but it was enough to keep me from completely losing it. Laughter brought me back out of my own little world, and of course it was Lucas.

"You know what I like most, Bella?" he said, his gaze boring into mine. "When we can set things up in someone's life so that you can watch their souls change. A warm, loving, happy soul changes into a grief-ridden, self-loathing blackness that you just want to help them out of. Or even letting them have some of that happiness back, just to take it away from them again. It might be better than ripping a soul out, I think." He put his hand to his face, like he was debating with himself.

"I'd let you try it, but I think I've put little Edward through enough already. He was like a yo-yo, but now I'm bored." He smiled evilly at me once more as my vision slowly turned read and tunneled until Lucas's face was the only thing I could see. My body tightened but I didn't relax, even when flashes of pain erupted throughout my body.

"Yes, watching as I cause an accident that almost kills a soul just to have it come back to life with the arrival of the one person that would be its downfall…And then throwing in the death of a friend that leaves a child parentless…Oh, and don't worry, Edward, all three of them died quickly. I was almost wondering if those EMT's were going to pronounce you dead as well, but lucky for you, they didn't." He sighed, like he was happy he was finally done, and by then my vision was blood red with anger.

"You…set up…_everything_…that happened…to me…" I said, the pain in my back making it hard to draw in a breath to talk normally. He just smiled and laughed at me.

"Oh, you and your pitiful anger. You can't do anything to me, _human_." He spat the word, like it was some foul tasting thing in his mouth. "I can read your mind, Edward. Your weak little soul is my open door into your mind. Nothing in your head is hidden from me, and I will tell you this; you can do nothing about your anger towards me. It is useless. Your death will occur here, not mine. I will never die." I tried to keep my memory of the night we met Billy and the wolves out of my head, but it shoved its way forward and he laughed even louder.

"You think my _Bella_ can stop me? Look at her. She cowers in fear at the sight of me, like a little kicked puppy." He glared at her with that possessive smile on his face again.

"Well, I'm done with these games, so it's time for my botch to return to her master. And it's time for you to die that slow and painful death I promised." Danni's face flashed through my mind before I could stop it and his eyes widened. I felt my fear increase as fast as my anger was wilting away.

"Don't worry about her, Edward. I've decided to keep her alive. She'll be Bella's new toy once all of this is done." He flicked his fingers at Danni and I followed the direction with my head until I could see her. She was hovering above the ground with a terrified look on her face.

"Play with her for now," he said, apparently to someone we couldn't see, "but do not damage her." Danni let out a high pitched scream, throwing her head back as she did so, but it was cut off quickly. Her head slowly fell forward and her eyes were closed, but when she opened them I wanted to scream like she did.

Her eyes were completely black, like her pupil had expanded to take up her entire eye. Even when she turned to look around, there was no white to be seen. She looked at Bella and me and smiled demonically, all of her teeth pointed. I heard Bella gasp, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Danni. The little girl I knew now looked like a demon-child.

"Good choice of words," Lucas said, grabbing my hair and raising me off the ground. He casually flicked his fingers again and Danni's body dropped to the ground, landing on her feet like a long-practiced predator. She slowly walked over, her innocent face twisted into a mask of evil. She stopped in front of me and pulled roughly on my leg, making me cry out. The two of them laughed and Lucas turned me towards him.

"This," he said, gesturing with his hand towards Danni, "is what is commonly called a possession. My little demon minion has taken over your little girl's body, but she is very much aware of what is going on. The possessed usually don't live long, unfortunately, since the actions of the demons possessing them tend to drive them insane. There's nothing to control once that happens, just an empty mind and a broken soul." He shrugged, making sure to move the arm that was holding me more than he had to. He dropped me to the ground and my vision blacked for minute, the impact and the pain almost making me pass out. Demon-Danni moved and stood by Lucas, who put his hand on top of her head.

"She is going to be my assistant in your death today, Cullen. You should be _so_ proud." He brought his foot back and kicked me in the ribs, their loud cracking being the last thing I heard before I passed out completely.

**BPOV**

I tried with all my might to scream when he kicked Edward, but I couldn't do it. My body was shaking with my fear and my hands shot to my ears with the crack of Edward's ribs. His ragged, labored breathing still filtered through, and so did Lucas's voice.

"Oops. That was a rib to a lung. I guess we won't have as long to play as I thought," he said, talking to the demon that was possessing Danni.

_No no no no no…_ I kept repeating to myself in my head. I was rocking back and forth, my breaths short and shallow as my mind showed me anything and everything he could do to Edward. The scariest thing was that I knew there was nothing I could do to stop him. Edward was going to die because of me, and I wasn't strong enough to fight for him.

"Bella," Carlisle's voice whispered next to me. He was so quiet I could barely hear him over my breathy sobbing. I had closed my eyes tightly and was shaking my head back and forth, the word _no_ being the only thing running through my head.

"Bella, you need to get yourself together," Carlisle said quickly. "You are the only one who can save Edward. All you have to do is get rid of your fear. I opened my eyes and saw Lucas still looking down at Edward's broken, unmoving form. I flinched at the sight and scooted back, wrapping my arms around myself like it would help keep him away.

"Bella, think about it. Is it Lucas you fear, or is it your fear of watching him take away the one person you truly love? Is your fear of losing Edward greater than your fear of Lucas?" I stared at the ground, but I didn't have enough time to really think about it. Edward's screams of pain erased any thought in my head and dragged my gaze up to where his body was.

Lucas's hand was outstretched towards Edward, who was on the ground with the upper half of his body arched up in pain. His hands were tensed and his eyes were bulging. It was the clearest I had ever seen him, but in the worst possible situation.

A misty outline slowly formed over Edward's body and he lifted higher off the ground, like he was being lifted by it. Lucas closed his hand into a fist and Edward cried out, the sound ripping at my heart.

Demon-Danni tensed her hands and I watched, sickened, as her fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws. It bent down and slowly ran a claw down the center of his chest, drawing a thin line of blood and slicing cleanly through his shirt. I felt a growl build up in my throat at the sight, but knocked it back down. It kept going, like it was drawing patterns in his blood. My suppressed growl grew again, growing until it felt like a roar.

"I'm going to rip your soul out, Edward. So slowly that you will feel every single connection breaking one by one," Lucas said slowly, the mist above Edward's body growing bigger and bigger as I sat there.

I felt Carlisle grip my shoulder, his hand tightening as he watched one of his sons die. Carlisle wasn't breathing anymore, and Edward wasn't much better. The mist started forming a thin stream and it went right towards Lucas's soul, which had materialized right behind him. Edward's soul reformed in its grip, racked with pain just like Edward. He cried out again as even more of his soul was ripped from his body, ripping my heart apart as my fear kept me as paralyzed as he was.

"Bella, if you don't do something, Edward is going to die. You will lose him forever. Do you really want that?" Carlisle pleaded hurriedly.

I started shaking my head again, breathing faster and faster as the last of Edward's soul rose to the surface of his body. I shook my head harder and harder and the evil smile on Lucas's face grew bigger and bigger. I watched as the muscles in his arm bound in slow motion, getting ready for the last pull, when a roar erupted from my throat and my own hand lashed out, Lucas immediately freezing.

Surprise, shock, and outrage followed each other over his face as he realized what I had done. I followed the direction of my hand and saw Lucas grab at his throat, like someone was choking him. He still had Edward's soul in his grip, but he couldn't move to finish the job.

My soul was standing in front of him, its hand around his neck.

I could feel Lucas fighting against me, trying to break my hold. He turned his head towards me and I could feel his soul overpowering mine, letting him do it. He growled at me, his fangs completely elongated. He reached up slowly, fighting my hold, and wrapped his hand around my soul's wrist. I felt his grip around my wrist and went flying when he ripped me off him and threw me.

I hit my shoulder against the ground as I dropped and rolled to a stop against something. I opened my eyes and got up on my hands, a large hand making sure I didn't fall back down. I turned to see Lucas glaring at me, his face full of hatred and anger. He was still holding Edward, his arm tensed to finish, but he was looking at me.

"How _dare you _touch me, you filthy _whore_!" Lucas screamed. "You are going to pay for that, but first, your little human toy is going to die." I glared at him and bared my fangs, my fear forgotten with the renewal of Edward's agonized screams.

I tried again, grabbing him around the neck, but it ended the same. I ended up thrown into Emmett that time, and he set me on my feet. Rose, Alice, and Jasper came over, all of them frightened and looking at me like they didn't know who I was.

"Bella," Alice started, her voice faltering as I continued to glare at Lucas. "Bella, you can do this. We believe in you and so does Edward. We're here for you."

I didn't hear anything after Edward's name. All my mind locked on to was that he believed in me. He believed in me and I still hadn't saved him. I hadn't saved him from the person that was my problem. I felt my body tense in my anger and my vision turned red.

I ran towards Lucas and threw myself at him, drawing his attention from Edward. He didn't let go, but he focused his anger on me. I lashed at him, trying to get him to let go, but he slammed me back with his hand. I landed on my hands and feet and ran right back at him.

He was focused on Edward again, and sharply brought his arm back just as I was about to tackle him. I heard the snap as Edward's soul was ripped completely from his body and screamed.

"_**NO!**_" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I turned to Lucas and lashed out with everything I had, ripping at him both physically and with my soul. I heard a ripping sound and felt a release around me, like I had been let go. I looked up to see Lucas's soul frozen where it was, its form like torn fabric. He looked the same as he fell, face first, onto the grass.

I shakily walked over to where Edward's body lay and collapsed onto my knees next to him. I felt the others gather around me, but if they said anything, I couldn't hear it over my sobbing. I looked up to see Edward's soul standing behind him, as clear as could be.

"Edward…" I whispered. He smiled and put his hand under my chin. I could see perfectly again, and Edward looked exactly the way he had in his dream. His soul's hair was falling into his eyes at the moment, but he ran his other hand through it to move it away.

_I knew you could do it, Bella_, his voice whispered in my mind. _You broke free of him and you and Danni are safe._ I shook my head, making his hand mist around me.

"Don't leave me, Edward," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. He smiled sadly, already fading.

_I can't stay here, Bella. You know that,_ he said, his voice sounding tired.

A loud sob escaped me before I could hold it back and I put my hand over my mouth. He gently took my hand away and leaned forward until his own cool lips pressed against mine. I didn't move, not wanting to lose this time, but Edward pulled away a minute later. I could barely feel his hand anymore. I cried even harder as he stood back up and took a step back. There was another figure behind him, her body looking as mist-like as his had before. She stood there without saying a word, just waiting.

"You don't have to go…Don't leave me…Please…" I pleaded with him, taking my eyes off the woman, but he shook his head sadly.

_I don't want to, Bella. Believe me, I don't. But I don't have a choice._ A small, crystal-clear tear ran down his misty face. I saw sadness and understanding flash across the woman's face, but she bowed her head so I couldn't see anything else. She walked up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders.

_Goodbye, love_.

And with that, he faded away, a serene light like angel's wings enveloping him.

**A/N: So, this was the big one. Hopefully most if not all of your questions have been answered, but if not, we aren't quite done yet. There's still another big event to come, so I can't spill all just yet. We've still got one more to go, so if you put your question in a review, I can answer it in the next chapter. If it's just something I didn't make clear, then I'll put the answer in a reply and make sure to clear it up in the next chapter.**

**The song for this chapter is Angel by Sarah McLahlan. You know, that one that makes those abused animal commercials so impossible to watch? I had to Google it, so that might not be the right artist.**

**Well, I hope I didn't depress you readers too much. This was the first section of this story I actually thought up when I thought of this story idea, so I'm really glad I finally got to write it. Even though it means we're **_**really**_** close to the end of the story…The next chapter might be it, depending on how long it takes to wrap up what this chapter started…**

**I will most likely not be able to update next week. I will try to get the chapter out, but we are leaving for two weeks to go on vacation and we leave on Saturday. So basically, if it's not up by next Friday at the latest, there won't be an update. BUT there WILL be an update the week after, since I'll still have internet access.**

**Please review! I really want to know what you thought of this one! :)**


	28. Here

_Here_

**BPOV**

I could sense them. My vision was unfocused, my body exhausted from so much use of my power, but I could still tell where every single one of them was. Alice was on my left, Rosalie on my right holding Danni, Jasper and Emmett standing behind their significant other. Carlisle and Esme were across from me. Edward was still lying where he had fallen, my body draped over him, my ears straining to hear what was missing.

But his heart stayed still. His lungs stayed empty. The world was still whole around me, but why did it feel like everything I knew had shattered? That everything had died with him?

The answer was simple. My mind stayed blank, but my heart knew the answer. As long as Edward was gone, so was I.

I never admitted it to him, but he had become my whole world. Whenever he hadn't been around, nothing felt right. He seemed to notice that for himself early on and tried his best to make sure he was always with me, but even little bathroom trips had caused me anxiety. I told myself it was stupid to be so obsessed with one person, but maybe some part of me knew this was going to happen. Maybe I had known, deep inside, that nothing would last the way it had been, so it tried to give me all the time I could possibly have with him.

Now it was gone, gone with him, and it was too late to do anything about it. The plan we had made, to change him so we could be together, it was too late. We waited too long. We missed our chance. It felt like every tear sliding down my face and onto his bloody chest was just another minute we had lost, the seemingly endless torrent the eternity that should have been ours.

I couldn't tell how long we were there, but eventually I stopped crying, a few stray tears clinging desperately to my lashes. None of the others had moved, but I could feel a new presence, a stranger standing on the outskirts of the clearing around the house. There was a feeling of sympathy and understanding coming from her, but only one word stuck in my broken mind.

_Stranger…_

I stood up abruptly, my hands tensed like claws and my teeth bared. A snarl ripped out of my throat and the strange woman looked at me pityingly. Someone put their hand lightly on my shoulder and I roughly shrugged them off, my gaze not leaving the woman's face. Small arms clutched my leg and I put my hand lightly on Danni's head as she hid her face in my thigh. I waved the others back, but Danni stayed next to me, moving so she was completely behind me.

Whoever this person was, she wasn't going to harm another member of my family.

Not again.

Never again.

**EPOV**

Death was…weird.

The clearing around the house faded as the angel wrapped her wings around me and everything turned white. There was no sound, no light, no darkness, no feeling. Everything was just there. Just a sense of _being_. Nothing else.

I could feel someone else near me, but I didn't look for them. There was no panic, no worry, no fear…but there was something. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was there. Every time I tried to put a name to it, it changed. The closest thing I could get to was complete happiness, but even that didn't really fit.

"Try peace," someone said behind me. I turned to see the angel that had brought me here. She looked amazingly similar to Bella, but her eyes were sky blue. Her hair was the same brown, but she had light streaks in it. It was also the same length. I smiled when I saw her, and she returned it, stepping forward until she was next to me.

"I was told to answer your questions," she said. I was about to tell her I didn't have any when the first popped into my head. I looked at her hesitantly and she nodded reassuringly.

"What…Who are you?" I whispered, not used to the disturbed silence. She smiled again, reminding me of Bella every time.

"I am one of the people the son of Satan killed through the years. The angels of death took pity on me for what happened and allowed me to stay here instead of continuing on to my final resting place. They felt my desire to help others pass more peacefully than I did, so they made me an Angel of Death." She didn't look away the whole time she explained, so she immediately saw my confusion.

"Then…are you a Reaper?" I asked. She smiled, expecting this question but shook her head.

"No, I'm not. Both Reapers and Angels are servants of Death, but there is a difference. Angels are chosen after the spirit dies and before it moves on, like I was. Reapers are those who are changed by a Reaper before they die. Like Bella." I flinched at the mention of her name, and the woman continued on.

"Reapers tend to help those who are going into Hell, since they have tangible bodies on Earth. Those going to Hell know it when they die, and they fight the whole way. Unexpected deaths, like murders and suicides, are also taken care of by the Reapers. Angels mostly help the souls of the people who have reached the end of their lives. Whether they are going to Heaven or Hell, or even their next life if that is their religion, we take care of them. There are times when the roles change, like with you, but it is mostly whoever gets there first. You are a special case, so I was told to bring you here." She looked at me and smiled.

"There are also Reapers who are brought to Heaven and changed into Angels, but that doesn't happen often. The Reapers can sometimes be ruthless with their work, and some souls who are changed into them are not fit to do their kind of work. That is when they are examined by the higher Angels with the possibility of becoming one or moving on into heaven itself." She looked above my head, like she was thinking about something.

"You know, now that I'm explaining all of this, it seems like…I don't know, like we have too many rules. Everything seems too complicated." I nodded once, still trying to sort through all of the information she was giving me. She shook her head. "Don't worry about all of this. I'll just get to the part that concerns you."

"Lucas's age is going to be a slight problem. He has been able to learn from his mistakes, which have not been many, and been able to improve his powers. He was born before 0 B.C., but only Satan himself knows when he was actually born. Only he knows the exact year when he decided to kidnap, rape, and kill a young woman with a demon birth," she finished, the first sign of anger I'd heard coming into her voice. She shook her head and continued as if it hadn't happened.

"Many of the Reapers went rogue with Lucas once he took the title of the Grim Reaper. He killed the last, which made him inherit his powers. He killed any Reaper who went against him and absorbed their powers as well, which is how he got to be so strong. The one to kill him will have all of the powers he has, plus their own." She paused and took a breath before continuing.

"But he took it farther than that. He started killing innocent people and trapping their souls inside his own so he could tap them whenever he wanted to use his powers. It saved him from having to use his own. He didn't take my husband or me. He was too set on his next target." She paused and waved her hand in the air in front of us. The white mist that made up wherever we were pulled together and started opening up in the middle. Bella's face slowly appeared among the whiteness, but there were no tearstains on her face. She was smiling.

"She was beautiful even before she changed. It only made her more so," she said, turning to me afterwards. "You make her happier than I have ever seen her, Edward, and I don't want my baby to lose that." My eyes widened and she laughed, the sound like soft bells.

"That's right. I'm Bella's mother. And I'm here to tell you that things don't have to be over just yet. All of us have talked about it and we've decided. You haven't been dead long and you are the soul mate of a Reaper, who can change you so that you live again." I stared at her, remembering Bella's face right before I left, the desperation and sadness there that almost broke my soul, since it was too late for my heart already. Bella's mother smiled when she saw my face.

"I can see your answer already. But I must warn you. Death can change someone. I cannot predict the effects it may have on whatever powers you get when you change, but you _will_ be a Reaper." I nodded, not caring about any of that. The only thing in my mind now was Bella's face, the smiling face I wished to see with my own eyes and the crying one I left behind.

"What's your name?" I asked, feeling like a child.

"Renee," she said. "Renee Swan."

"Swan," I repeated, almost forgetting at how fitting the name was to Bella. Renee put her hand on my shoulder, bringing my attention to the window-like opening before us. I held my breath as I watched the images, always looking for Bella's face among those that were there. I didn't even notice when Renee walked away.

**BPOV**

"Things don't have to be over just yet," the Reaper said, staying right where she was. I didn't move any closer, but I also didn't stop growling. I could still feel the dried tear marks on my face, but I didn't wipe them away. Nor did I bother to wipe away the fresh ones her words brought.

"It _is_ over!" I growled harshly. "Edward is _dead_. I can't save him from that." I felt my grip on my power slowly vanishing with my despair. Danni made a frightened whine and I tried to pull myself together enough to keep myself under control.

"And what if I told you that you were wrong? That there was still a chance to save him?" she said softly, seeming to feel my hold weakening again. I pushed Danni towards where I sensed the others standing and she ran to them understanding that something was happening to me.

"I would tell you that you are signing your death notice," I snarled, my lips curling up in my fury. She had no right to speak Edward's name, or to talk about the fate of his soul. I knew where he was, I knew as soon as the angel came to take him.

"Tell me what you want, or get out of here _now_," I said, my voice vibrating with the effort to keep from letting my powers run free. There was also an underlying authority to it, even though I didn't even know who this person was. She smiled sadly and I held myself back with everything I had to keep from attacking her.

"I am here because you defeated our Grim Reaper. He is not dead, but he has been defeated. Because of that, _you_ are now the Grim Reaper. You won't get his powers until he is dead, but you beat him. The first defeat marks an unfit ruler among our kind, and I have a feeling it is going to take a lot to defeat you," she said, not pausing until the end. My anger rose at her last comment, my body taking it as a threat. I felt the strands of my power lash out, but there wasn't enough to reach her. Fear and confusion flashed across her face, followed by understanding.

"I am not here to challenge you," she said hurriedly, holding her hands up in a defensive stance. "I was only saying that I think you will hold the title for a longer time than the others. They let themselves get weak. All except for Lucas, that is, and you still defeated him." She looked at me curiously then, like she was trying to figure out why.

"He was my sire," I whispered, trying to control my continuously rising anger.

I didn't even know why I was still so angry. She told me why she was here and she wasn't making a move against me, but I was still angry. It almost felt like something was taking over, making me want to kill everything and everyone around me. I couldn't stop growling at her, even as she stood there so surprised at what I had just said. I grabbed my head as pain joined the anger and fell to my knees. It felt like something was trying to get into my head.

"Bella, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, coming up behind me cautiously. His question seemed to alert her to my condition.

"It's him," the woman said. "You have to fight him. He is going to use everything he has to make you pay, but you can't let him." All of the anger quickly turned to pain and I cried out, my hands holding my head.

_You are a dead woman, Bella…_Lucas's voice echoed in my mind. _You may have taken my title, but you do not have my powers…And I am going to use them to kill you…You and the rest of that misfit vampire family…_

"No," I ground out, trying to keep back my screams of agony. "No, you won't. I won't let you." He laughed in my head, the sound echoing and becoming louder and louder.

_I will kill them one by one…so each couple can see their other half die right before their eyes…It will be slow and painful, Bella…I will make sure of that…_

"No!" I yelled, putting my hands over my ears. "Get out of my head!" He laughed again and I sensed someone kneel in front of me. She put her hands on my shoulders and leaned towards me.

"Push him, Isabella Swan. Find him and push him out. You must, before he gets too strong," she said quickly. There was a rush of steps coming in my direction and Danni's small hands gripped my arm near my wrist. I hadn't even noticed when I curled up into a ball, but Danni wrapped her little arms around me and pressed her face into my hair.

"Come on, Bewa. You can do it. Don't let him hurt you like he hurt Edward. You can beat him again," she said softly, like she was the older one.

_Stupid little brat…_ His voice roared so loud that everyone could actually hear it. _I should have killed you when I had the chance…_

I felt a chill in my side as he reached out from inside me and Danni gasped. She stumbled back from me and gasped. I trembled as the pain in my head and his power overwhelmed me and started blacking out when Danni screamed in absolute terror and pain.

That was all it took to wake me up again.

"No, NO, _NO_!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, following the flow of his power and ripping him out of me as I did so. I saw him go flying a few yards in front of me, but I whipped around to Danni.

She was just starting to fall forward and I shot over and caught her before she hit the ground. Her eyes were half closed and she was breathing quickly, but she wasn't hurt. I switched my vision and saw that he had only managed to grab her before I threw him, but her soul was bunched up where he had gotten her. I put my hand over the spot, right in the middle of her chest, and let my power flow into her. It gently coaxed the bunched spot apart until it was smoothed out again and she blinked, looking up at me.

"Mommy?" she whispered, her voice on the verge of breaking. I smiled but shook my head. Her brows knitted together in confusion and she blinked again. Her confusion disappeared as she recognized me and she looked around. "But I saw my mom. Where she go?" she asked, her words slurring as she tried to get her bearings again. I didn't answer her, instead looking to where I had thrown Lucas.

He was standing, his hands braced like claws in his anger. I felt my eyes widen as his turned red, his body constantly changing between that of a human and his true form. He never went completely to one form after he left his human one so I only got glimpses of the demon he really was.

His whole body was red, including the huge, curling horns erupting from his forehead. He was dressed in an all black robe that fell to his ankles and he was barefoot. His body was all muscle and he stood around six to six and a half feet tall. He had a haze of power outlining him that constantly moved.

I stood up slowly, set Danni on her feet, and turned to Lucas. He smirked at me and showed his teeth, all of them pointed and knife-sharp. His fingers twitched and his nails grew out, making his hands look like talons. I watched them until they stopped and looked up narrowing my eyes at Lucas.

I crouched until I was in attack position, with my strong side back, and never took my gaze from his. I let my own power seep out around me and felt my own nails elongating. But still I didn't look away. I could feel the apprehension and fear of the others, but Lucas lunged at me before I could do much more than that.

The battle was on.

**EPOV**

I saw Lucas lunge at Bella and almost dove into the window to get to her. I watched as the battle began, Bella's smaller size as much a defense as it was a weakness. She darted around him almost faster than he could follow, landing hits but doing practically nothing to him. He hit her once and she went flying into the trees, only to come back out again and stand between him and the Cullens, who were circled around Danni. I could see the pain on Bella's face and the flowering of blood through her shirt at her shoulder. She was still using her arm, so I guessed it wasn't too bad.

I looked away for only a moment to look for Renee, but she was nowhere to be found. I looked back just as Lucas slashed Bella from her hip to her shoulder across her chest and felt a hand rest on my own shoulder as my heart twisted at the sight.

"They won't let you go. Not right now. Not while this is happening. He'll just kill you all over again," Renee said sadly, her own fear for Bella coming through her voice.

"What? I have to help her!" I said, whipping around to face her. A tear trailed down her face as she watched the fight behind me.

"They won't give permission for you to go. Not with this fight going on right next to your body. They'll let you go back once this is done." Her gaze never wavered from the window. I turned back just in time to see Bella land another blow, just to be thrown back into a tree. It snapped from the impact and fell over her, the snapped end catching on the rest of the tree so it didn't crush her. She crawled out from under it and stood, swaying on her feet.

"I'm not just going to stand here and watch her die. By the time this is over, there won't be anything left to go to. He'll kill them all and it won't be worth going back." I stared at the scene before me and curled my hands into fists.

"She has to weaken him. She can't win until she weakens him," Renee kept repeating. I glanced between her tearstained face and the window, noticing the soft fall of rain starting as I watched. I thought frantically about everything she told me, about everything that could tell me what Bella could do. Things slowly matched together and my eyes widened.

"I know what to do…" I said slowly. "I know what she has to do…" I reached out towards the window, but Renee grabbed my hand.

"You can't go…They won't let you go…" Renee said, tears falling faster and faster as she continued watching. The rain through the window increased with her tears.

"I have to. I have to tell her. Have to help her." I lunged for the window before she could grab me again and fell through.

I was going back.

**BPOV**

He was strong. He was stronger than I expected, and I was losing badly. I was slashed all over, and he barely had a scratch on him. All his muscle made him slow, but when he hit, he hit hard. There was something wrong with my shoulder, and I cursed the fact that I could be injured like a human, even though I couldn't die from the injuries.

I was getting up from being thrown again, my body feeling like one big pain instead of little separate ones. My vision was blacking out, but I concentrated my power so that I was looking at souls instead of people. That didn't take my eyes, and it lessened some of the pain in my head. I heard quiet sobbing as Lucas stepped towards me and turned to see Danni crying against Esme's legs.

"Get Danni out of here," I whispered, looking only at her. Her eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. I smiled sadly as her eyes took in my wounds and moved back to my face.

"You need to get out of here before you get hurt." She shook her head again and started running towards me just as Lucas grabbed my soul. I threw my head back and my cry of pain died in my throat. Danni screamed as Lucas brought us into the soul world again, making what he had done visible.

I looked down to see a large gapping whole in the center of my soul, the edges ragged and gently flowing in an invisible breeze. I slowly looked behind me to see Lucas standing there with his soul standing behind him again, the missing part of my own in its hand. His soul reached up and placed it in its mouth, like it was relishing a meal.

I put my hand over the spot and Danni cried out, falling to her knees where she had stopped. I turned back to her, tears falling down my face along with the rain. I could feel myself weaker than I had been before he had taken part of my soul, and the rest of it despaired. My very being knew there was no way I could beat him. Not even when I had been stronger.

I felt a second hand fall over mine and looked down. A shimmering white, misty hand. I immediately felt my power come back to me and breathed in deeply. When I exhaled, I turned my face to see the one I never thought I would again.

Edward brushed a finger across my lips with his thumb for just a second before he looked at Lucas, a death glare on his beautiful face. He had a glowing aura around him that made him shimmer. Lucas looked surprised for a moment and then laughed.

"Didn't they teach you how to stay dead? Apparently you can't do anything right, Cullen," he sneered. Edward didn't respond to him, but turned when Danni yelled.

"Edward!" She came running over, Rosalie still crouched where she had been next to Danni. All of them were staring at him in shock. He just smiled as she tried to wrap her arms around him. They went straight through. I looked up at him, confused, and he laughed, my heart jumping at the sound.

"I haven't figured out how to make my whole body tangible just yet, but it doesn't seem like it should be all that hard," he said, picking up a shocked Danni with his other arm. She started to fall through his hip, but he fixed it. She laid her head on his shoulder and draped her arm around his neck, letting the other dangle at her side. My heart tightened as I looked at her. She shouldn't have been brought into this at all, but it was too late to do anything now. Lucas's laugh brought me out of my thoughts.

"Do you think just because you came back that she will win?" He laughed again and I looked at Edward, my hopes falling once more.

_You can still win this, Bella_, he thought to me. _All you have to do is weaken him._

_How?_ I asked, thinking the words without even knowing if it worked both ways. Edward looked down at me and smiled before looking up at Lucas.

_He has the souls of the people and Reapers he's killed in his soul. We have to get them out._ He made it sound so simple, but I didn't know how we were going to manage it.

_His soul was already ripped during your last fight. He's hiding the wounds._ I nodded once.

_So how do we do that?_

_No clue_, he answered. I smiled. He sounded just like he did before. He whispered something to Danni and she nodded, a trace of sadness in her eyes as Edward set her down. She ran back to the others and he turned to me.

_I have an idea_, he said, not explaining anything. He faded into me and there was a rush as he filled the hole that Lucas had left in me. His soul molded to mine and I felt my power increase greatly. The pain from my wounds decreased to a tolerable level and I sighed in relief.

_You have to keep fighting him. I'll get the souls when you touch him. He won't know what's going on, since I made it look like I faded away. I took a lot of your pain away, but the wounds are still there. Remember that._ I let my head fall to my chest and left my hand over my soul's wound so Lucas wound think Edward was gone.

_Okay_, _are you ready?_ I asked him. I felt him smile.

_Ready when you are, love._

I kept my head down until I could keep the smile off my face and then looked at Lucas, drawing on the sorrow I had felt when he killed Edward to hide our plan. I tensed my hands into claws and screwed my face up in anger. I had to leave one hand over my stomach, but I bared my teeth at him. Lucas just smirked and we attacked, my first blow a swipe across Lucas's face. I felt Edward reach out through my hand and the slight resistance as he grabbed a soul

Edward freed another soul every time I so much as touched Lucas, and his anger showed. I got thrown into a tree a few more times, but Edward kept the pain at bay until the last was removed. Lucas was hunched over and gasping, holding the center of his demon chest. Sometime during the fight he lost his human guise and he was all demon now. I dug my nails and toes into the ground and slid to a stop after the last throw. I stood up slowly and Lucas glared at me, his confusion making him even angrier.

"_What did you do to me?_" he screamed. I said nothing. I just watched as a circle of souls surrounded Edward and I, all of them staring right at Lucas.

Fear flashed across his face as he took in the sight of those he had killed for his own gain. Edward materialized next to me, not hiding the fact that he had been fighting him from inside me, and kept his hand over my wound. Lucas snarled at him, but Edward didn't react. He just paid attention to the two figures that walked towards him and stood just behind us one on each side. Edward's mother placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling at me softly, and Edward's father had his hand on the other. Edward's reaction was the only hint I had to who they were, his tears telling me I was right.

All of the other souls moved in closer to us, making one big group. They all took each other's hands in one long chain, the ends being Edward's parents and then him. I immediately felt it when all of them started concentrating their powers to me, my body sizzling and pulsing with it. Edward placed his free hand in mine and rested his chin on my shoulder. His happiness seeped into me with the energy from the souls, making me smile.

I took my hand away from my stomach, leaving Edward's there to keep the power inside me, and reached out toward Lucas. He flinched back, but he couldn't move any more than that. I glanced at Edward and he was smirking at me. He kissed my neck, the smirk never leaving his face. He brought our entangled hands up to my stomach and moved the hand that had been there out to mine. He let his arm mold into mine.

"Ready, love?" he asked. I nodded and he smiled at me.

He looked back towards Lucas and I followed his gaze. I concentrated all of the power flowing through my body into my hand, and a pure white ball quickly grew there. It grew and grew as I kept up my concentration, and Lucas tried harder and harder to break free of our hold as it did. When all of it was circling in my hand, I looked at Lucas and smiled.

"Goodbye. And this time, forever." And I let it go.

It shot out of my hand with such force that I was almost blown back, but Edward held me still. The white stream of power plowed right through Lucas's body, his feet rooted to the ground by our mental hold on his soul. His scream seemed to echo all the way to Hell and back, but it died along with him. His body turned to ash as the last of the power shot through, the stream trickling down until it vanished.

No one moved for a while afterwards, but I could feel the chain breaking. When I looked behind me, I could see many of the souls starting to vanish. Angels, looking just like the one that had come for Edward, were appearing in the clearing. One appeared in front of us and Edward's parents moved towards her. The Angel's face was hazed, like the living were not supposed to see their faces, but it cleared as we stood there. I gasped and tears immediately poured down my face when I saw who it was.

"Bella," my mother whispered, opening her arms to me. I ran to her, completely forgetting my soul, and fell to the ground in pain at her feet. She kneeled down next to me and placed her hand over the wound, just like Edward had been doing.

"Mom," I said, my voice broken and breathy with pain. My eyes were half closed, but I could still see her. She gently rolled me onto my back and I could see the others standing only a few feet away, Edward sitting on the ground next to me. There was worry on his face, but when my mom motioned to him, he ran off.

"You did great, Bella," she said. "You freed all of those trapped souls and rid the world of a rogue death angel." She smiled down at me, but I couldn't return it. It felt like all of the energy I had used had sapped everything in me.

Edward kneeled next to me again and something glowing softly was in his hand. My mom slowly took her hand away and Edward replaced it with the rest of my soul, the piece Lucas had taken from me. I gasped as the edges reattached, but sighed as my soul settled again. Danni came running over and sat on Edward's thigh, using her feet to keep herself from sliding off.

"You're lucky I was ready for you this time," he said, messing with her hair. Danni just tilted her head up and smiled sweetly at him, making all of us laugh. The Cullens had moved towards us and were standing as a group at my feet. I looked at Edward, who was still playing with Danni's hair even though she was trying to swat him away, and then to my mom. She seemed to know what I was going to ask.

"Edward needs to decide what he is going to do," she said, making everyone's gazes turn on her. "The higher Angels were going to let him return to you, since you would be able to put him back in his body, but when he dove through the window we use to look in on Earth without permission, they were ready to send him straight to Hell." My heart sank with her words, but I didn't interrupt.

"They decided to watch him, to see what he was going to do, and I have to say were quite surprised when he figured out how to get rid of Lucas. His love for you and his family helped influence them as well," she said, turning to everyone there individually.

"But the purity of his intentions are what truly kept them from exiling you there," she continued. "When they saw just how badly you wanted to save everyone, it would have been a sin in itself to send you there."

"What does that mean for him?" I asked, trying to sit up. It made my head spin from the pain that was slowly filtering back, but I didn't stop. Edward put his arm around my shoulders, keeping me from falling back again, and I leaned against him. My mom smiled softly.

"It means," she said slowly, "that, as long as Edward wants to stay, they will allow it. After everything the two of you did today, they are not even putting a condition on his return." My eyes widened in shock and I looked at Edward. He had a look of disbelief on his face and slowly turned his head toward me. He didn't say anything, just stared.

"Edward?" my mother asked gently. "You have to answer. If you don't, then I have to take you back."

He looked up at her and then at his parents, who were still standing on either side of her. They looked at me as I closed my eyes against the pain, but I opened them again to see what they said. They looked at Edward and nodded. Just once, but they nodded. I looked at Edward and he smiled at them, and then looked down at me.

"I think I'll stay," he said, not looking away from me. "What do you say love? That sound good to you?" I nodded frantically and he chuckled, leaning down and letting his lips brush lightly over mine. He smiled against me and leaned back.

"Yeah, I think I'll stay."

Only then did any of us notice the presence of the wolves around us, their howls like a song to the moon itself. I looked around and spotted Billy standing with the Reaper. She bowed and walked away and I had no doubt that we would be meeting again. Billy smiled at me before backing into the trees and disappearing into the night like a shadow, the light of the moon making his face look like that of a wolf for a split second.

_6 Years Later…_

"I can't believe I still haven't gotten used to this yet," I said as Bella laughed. I glared at her, but it just made her laugh harder.

We were practicing with our powers together, instead of working with them separately. We were in our room in the Cullen's house, while the others helped Danni with her homework. She was in fifth grade now, and growing much faster than I liked. She didn't know what we were just yet, but I could tell she knew something was up. It was hard to hide the fact that none of us ate, and whenever the wolves stopped over, she seemed to be able to sense something about them too. She just made sure never to mention it. As Carlisle kept saying about it, it was only a matter of time.

Bella's control was really frustrating me, since it made me look like the amateur I was. Even after working with her since the day after I woke up from changing, I still had almost no control over my powers. We had been worried about my bloodlust at first, but we quickly learned that my sire's lack of it had passed along to me. She walked over and took my face in her hands.

"You'll get it eventually," she said, going through the same conversation we had every time we decided to work on it. I just sighed and sat on the bed. Bella sat down next to me and brushed my hair back from my forehead.

"Hey, you _will_ get it, Edward. I know you will. It just takes time. All I knew when I met you was how to keep it inside and change how I see things. I didn't know anything else, and that was a year after I changed. I'm learning right alongside you," she said, trying to make me feel better.

I just sighed again and Bella pushed me back onto the bed. She sat on my stomach and I grabbed above her knees with my hands. She leaned down and kissed me, moving her lips against mine. I quickly responded and kissed her back. She leaned far enough back so that our lips were no longer touching, but just far enough so that she could see me.

"You need to learn some patience, Mr. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," she said, letting her pupils narrow into slits like a cat's. "You should not doubt the Grim Reaper, little underling." I smiled and she smirked.

And Bella truly was the Grim Reaper. After the news of her defeat over Lucas and how her soul mate returned from the dead to her, no one thought to challenge her. All of the Reapers fell back onto line and Charlotte, the vampire who had been at the house that day, came to tell Bella of her duties not long after. There was a whole list of them, but I hadn't paid much attention. All I heard was about how Reapers were spreading stories of how I'd stormed through Heaven to get back to Bella, and of how I was the other half of her soul. That last part seemed to stem from how I had been able to keep her together and fighting by using myself to make up for what Lucas had ripped out of her.

"Hey, stop inflating your ego, mister. It's big enough already," Bella chided. I smiled innocently and she laughed. Those Reapers hadn't been that far off about the soul thing. Bella and I knew everything about each other, at any time of the day, no matter where the other happened to be. We were, quite literally, each other's other half.

"Aww…" Bella said, leaning down to kiss me again just as the door opened. Danni peeked her head around the side and immediately put her hands over her eyes.

"Ew," she said plainly, not putting any emotion into her voice. Both of us laughed and Bella let herself fall to my side.

"It's okay, Danni. Edward was just being a pessimist again," Bella said around laughs. Danni spread her fingers before she put her hands down and jumped on the bed next to him.

"About what?" she asked, even though she knew we wouldn't answer. She smiled at her and patted my chest.

"Everything, of course," she said. She huffed and shook her head, not bothering to ask any more. I laughed again and Bella rested her head on my shoulder. She took my hand in hers and laced her fingers through mine.

"So, what's up?" I asked her. She shrugged and laid her head on me like Bella.

"Nuthin," she said. "I finished my homework, so I wanted to see if you were busy." Her face scrunched in disgust, causing Bella and me to laugh again.

"What did you have in mind?" Bella asked her.

"I dunno," she answered, shrugging again. "Maybe a movie downstairs?"

She looked between the two of us hopefully, and we looked at each other. We both turned back and nodded at the same time and she rolled off the bed in her excitement. She went running downstairs yelling that we were going to watch a movie and anyone who wanted to watch should get their butts in the living room. Clearly, she had been spending _way_ too much time with Alice and Rosalie. I chuckled and Bella sighed. I looked at her, feeling her weariness and slight anxiety.

"What is she going to do when we tell her, Edward?" she asked, feeling my curiosity. I smiled softly.

"She's a smart girl, love. She already knows something is up. She's just waiting for us to tell her what it is," I said, trying to reassure her. She was uncertain for a moment, but then she nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. She's probably already trying to guess." I chuckled again, imagining some of the things she could think of.

"I know I never would have believed it if someone told me about everything that's happened to us. I would have personally paid for their one-way ticket to the padded room." That made Bella laugh and I smiled.

"Well, I never expected to find a soul mate at a small town high school," Bella countered. I kissed her forehead.

"Neither of us did, love, but I wouldn't change anything even if I could. Everything that happened got us to where we are today, and it's exactly where I want to be."

"Here," she said, placing a hand on my chest. I put my free hand over hers.

"Here."

**A/N: Well, it's done. This is the final chapter of this story and it's out before my vacation, just like I hoped. I have to say thank you to all of my readers now. I asked you to keep an open mind about this story, and if you're reading this right now, then you did. Thanks.**

**I don't know when my next story is going to be up, but the new version of Infectious is going to be the next one up. It'll definitely be before I start college, but after the next two weeks. There won't be a whole lot of time to work on it, but I'm somewhat sure it won't be nearly as long as this one.**

**The song is Here by Rascal Flatts. It's a personal favorite of mine that I may have put into those last few parts… :)**

**And Now a Few Words of Wisdom:**

**Open your mind,**

**Listen to your heart,**

**Reach for the stars,**

**And believe your dreams.**

**There is nothing that can stop you unless you let it.**

**It's your choice.**


	29. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

_6 Years Later_

**EPOV**

"You know, I really still can't believe it," Bella said. I looked down to where she was leaning her head against my shoulder and raised an eyebrow. We were on a private plane headed to Volterra, the thing so big that Carlisle and Esme, Rose and Emmett, and Jasper and Alice got their own decent sized section. Danni was with us, sitting across the aisle with an iPod in her hand. She was busy playing some sort of game with what looked to be bunnies in it, but I couldn't keep my attention on it long enough to tell. My nerves kept building as we got closer, but Bella didn't seem to mind at all.

"Can't believe what, love?" I asked when she didn't look up at me. I could feel her slipping in and out of a light doze. She smiled.

"Billy, and how he's able to walk now," she clarified. I sighed, but didn't respond. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

A few days after I was changed, Bella told me how she had seen Billy standing in the trees with the wolves. He wasn't in his wheelchair and all of the shadows of pain and misery were gone from his face. Neither of us could explain it then, but the wolves paid us a visit to discuss what happened that day and he walked through the front door of his own volition. All of us were shocked except for Bella, who immediately asked him how it happened. He had laughed good-naturedly, but getting the answer out of him had been like pulling teeth. Bella was persistent though, and managed to get him to spill with a little guilt trip concerning him using her to get his mobility back. That fact hadn't even crossed my mind until she said it, but I didn't let the others see my confusion. I figured she knew what she was doing.

He explained that, when he had the accident that landed him in his wheelchair, he had teetered between life and death for about a month. In that time, many different Reapers came to him, telling him they could end his misery quickly if he gave them permission. He never did. The last Reaper he saw before he woke up happened to be Lucas, who decided to strike a deal with the old werewolf. Put simply, it was Billy's life for his legs, and Billy agreed. With Lucas's death came the end of their bargain. Billy regained his legs, but didn't lose his life. It was the same day Charlotte, the Reaper that had been there that day, stopped by to tell Bella of her new powers and responsibilities. Bella decided to ask her about it. She said none of them thought Bella would agree to end his life because of their relationship, so they didn't even bother to ask.

"Edward?" Bella said, slight concern entering her voice. She looked up at me and I smiled down at her.

"I can't either," I said, shaking my head. "The thought that he could put you in so much danger for his own benefit is disgusting." She smiled softly.

"You know he didn't do it for himself, Edward. I felt it, and so did you. He was sincerely concerned about all of the people who could have been hurt if I didn't do anything about Lucas. The fact that he got his mobility back seemed to be a surprise to him." I nodded, grudgingly. I still couldn't get over the fact that he had been so willing to put her in harm's way, but Bella was right. He didn't do it for himself.

"So, change of topic," she said slowly. She leaned up and pushed the armrest separating us up out of the way and laid back down across my lap, her head resting on my arm. She looked at me expectantly and could feel her waiting for me to bring something up. I smiled.

"This was your idea, and yet I have to think of the new topic?" I asked lightly. I talked quietly, feeling Danni fall asleep in the seats across the aisle. Bella smiled and looked at her, stretched out across the two seats.

Her hair had grown long and straightened out. She was only ten, but she was starting to show her adolescence already. Her face was losing its childishness, but I kept finding myself seeing the little girl I had first met that day in the hospital. It was hard to believe it's been seven years already. She was our little sister now, everyone's but Carlisle and Esme. She was another child to them.

"We shouldn't have brought her," I whispered, placing my hand on Bella's hip. I could feel her understanding as she squeezed my wrist.

"I know. She was going to come whether we let her or not, though. You know that. We tried to convince her to stay with a friend, but she wouldn't have it. Besides, she's pretty much figured it out anyway. She's just waiting for us to tell her," Bella said softly.

"Aro is going to demand her be changed once he finds out," I stated. "He won't care about how much she actually knows. It's enough for him." Bella sighed.

"Yeah, but we might be able to make a deal. We bring her back once she's out of school and changed. I don't think he'd let us change her while she's still a kid."

"That's true." I choked back the rest of my train of thought. Saying it would just make the possibility of Danni's premature death more real. Bella squeezed my wrist again and used her other hand to bring my face down to hers. She brushed her lips against mine and looked right into my eyes.

"She will not die today," Bella said, truth ringing through me from her. Her pupils narrowed to red slits and the whites turned black as she tried to convince me. It had been a surprise the first few times I saw them change. It was normal now, especially when she told me mine did the same, except the colors were switched. "I will not let it. She will not die before her time." She stared at me, but I didn't respond.

"Edward, do you hear me? _She will not die_." I closed my eyes and nodded once, sighing.

"Yeah, I hear you, Bella. It's hard to get it out of my head, but I hear you." Her look softened, her pupils relaxing, and she smiled sadly. She pressed her lips more firmly to mine, but broke away after a few seconds.

"We should really be thinking about why he called us there to begin with. What he wants to know." I sighed again as she leaned back against my arm.

"Well, he told Carlisle that he wanted to start a record on us. What he means by that, I don't know." She nodded.

"That's why he had us write down everything we know and found out about our powers. Now that we've got control and basically understand what we can do, he wants to know." She sighed and a light breeze brushed my face.

"He wants to keep track of his threats," I said, smirking at her. She smiled back, half closing her eyes. Aro called not long after the battle and requested a log of our powers and the extent of them. He was calm over the phone, but both Bella and I had been able to pick up his minimal level of nervousness, even from across the room.

"He has every right to. The one thing he won't get away with is trying to keep us there by having us 'explain' our powers to him. You know he'll think of something to try to keep us." I nodded and gave her a half smile.

"Anything to get what he wants, and both of us know we're on the list now." I sighed and looked at Danni. "I should warn you now, I don't know how I or the others will react if he threatens her in any way, especially if he tries to use her as blackmail against us." I looked back down at Bella to see her smiling softly. She took my hand from her hip and laced our fingers together.

"I won't let anyone hurt her. And you know I'll stop you if you get too out of control," she said, mentally tugging on the link between us. I felt the pull in my mind and in my heart and smiled, unable to deny that she was telling the truth. "It's the same with the others. I can influence them the same as you, but there isn't our extra connection." She squeezed my hand and I smiled.

"I certainly hope not," I said and she laughed, kissing me on the mouth.

She started leaning back and I moved my free hand to the back of her neck, keeping her there. She smiled as I kissed her and my body froze as she grabbed our link. She leaned back and I looked at her, surprised. She smirked at me and leaned up, her lips making a path around my face. She kissed the side of my jaw and looked up at me through the corner of her eye. I looked down at her, unable to move, and she moved in front of me, her smirk still on her face.

"I kind of like this power," she said slyly. I half closed my eyes, letting her know I agreed. It made her laugh again and she kissed me again, slowly giving me back control of my body. I kissed her back as soon as I could and she smiled against me.

We kissed for a while but eventually broke apart for the time being when Danni started waking up. I looked out the window and noticed that we were over land again, meaning we were close to Volterra. I looked at Bella and she smiled innocently.

"What?" she asked, shrugging in my lap. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Very good distraction." She laughed lightly, looking satisfied with herself.

"I hoped you would think so. I couldn't think of a conversation that would last the whole trip and distract you enough to keep you calm, so that was the only plan." She shrugged again and I gave her a tight smile.

"I liked that distraction." I felt my throat tighten with anxiety and swallowed hard. "But I think I need another." Bella put her hand in the middle of my chest and made a quiet shush sound. I realized how fast I was breathing, actually forgetting to at times, and I could feel my eyes changing. I closed them as I felt her start taking control, just enough to slow my breathing, but nothing more.

"Control, Edward. Remember? Stay in control," Bella said softly, her other hand on the side of my face. I nodded stiffly, consciously trying to relax my body.

My muscles just kept tightening and tightening, my body like a rubber band. I started trembling all over and Bella leaned up, worry marring her perfect features. She put both of her hands on each side of my face and stared into my eyes, hers changing again as she concentrated her powers on me. I followed her lead, trying with all my might to focus my own strength on relaxing my body. My eyes slowly changed and I could feel them fighting to change back, fighting against me. I looked straight at Bella and gave myself one last pulse of energy.

I loosened my grip on the arm of the seat, and collapsed in a heap on Bella, my head falling onto her chest. I could feel my body fighting with me, tensing and twitching as I kept myself forcibly relaxed, but I kept in control. I could feel Bella at work when I weakened, but she was just helping. When I felt myself gain complete control again, I slowly turned my head towards Bella, but didn't lift it. My body felt exhausted from the tension, both emotional and physical, and Bella ran her fingers slowly through my hair. I sighed and closed my eyes for a few seconds, opening them to see a new face next to Bella's.

Danni's face was a mix of confusion, curiosity, and worry, all of them fighting for dominance on her young face. Her brows were furrowed together and I could see her holding back flinches as my body gave a last final effort to break free of me. I twitched and trembled for a few seconds before my body gave in, my anxiety caged at the back of my mind. I was breathing heavily as she hesitantly put her hand on my head.

"Edward…what's the matter?" she asked slowly, still processing what she saw. I couldn't answer her so Bella did for me.

"Ever since he returned to his body, he's been having issues," Bella said. "Carlisle took a look, but there's physically nothing wrong with him. I've been watching when he has flare-ups. It seems to only happen when his emotions get strong, mostly when he's frustrated, mad, or anxious, like now." Danni looked at her, her brows still furrowed.

"Were you able to find out what's wrong?" she asked. I felt Bella nod slowly.

"I have an idea that we've talked about. It seems to make sense, and Carlisle agrees." Bella sighed and brushed her hand across my cheek. I closed my eyes as I drifted in and out of a doze.

"We think, when his body and soul were reunited, something happened. Something that makes him like two separate people. We've been working on controlling it, but times like just now make his control slip a little." She paused and continued moving her hand over my face, tracing my eye and the side of my mouth.

"What…What can he do?" Danni asked quickly. She sounded more and more curious, which was understandable. Bella really wasn't telling her much quickly.

My breathing finally slowed to a normal level and I concentrated on my body. I slowly and carefully separated my soul from my body, making sure I didn't slip up and watched a small cord connect my two halves. I floated over to Danni's side, keeping myself transparent so that she wouldn't see me, and my body sighed again, now completely relaxed without my restless soul caged inside it.

I brought the mist that was my soul tightly together and formed a tangible body crouching next to Danni. I put a pale, all-white hand on her shoulder, my soul's "body" the color of mist, but as real as the body still laying in Bella's lap. She gasped and turned to me before letting out half a scream. I put my hand over her mouth and chuckled lightly as her eyes darted between my soul and my body. Both of them looked at her and I moved my real body so that I was sitting up. Her eyes widened even more and she tried to let out another scream, but it died behind my hand. She finally stopped and I felt her trying to relax herself so I stayed still so she wasn't distracted. Her breathing calmed to a tense inhale and exhale and her shoulders were still tight in my grip, but she made the effort. I slowly took my hand away from her mouth and she turned to look at me. Well, spirit me, anyway.

"Ha-…How…How did you…" she sputtered. She slowly reached one hand towards my cheek. Danni's hand hesitated right before she lightly brushed a fingertip against my mist form. Her eyes widened once more as she realized I was real, that I wasn't just some projection or something. She put both of her hands on either side of my face and turned my head side to side, her mouth opening into a small "o." She let go once she was satisfied, and then surprised me by stabbing me in the chest with her finger.

"Yup," she said, shaking her hand in pain. "You're definitely real."

Both of us chuckled and I gently took Danni's hand, slowly turning it over so I could see any injuries. She didn't break anything, and I let out a silent breath of relief. I let her hand go and she rested it on her thigh. She was looking at me strangely, like she was trying to answer her own question. I raised an invisible eyebrow at her, and then realized she couldn't see it. I split my awareness between my two forms and shook my head, trying to get rid of the fogginess of exhaustion from my real body.

"So, what are you thinking?" I asked once my head cleared. My mist-looking form just squatted behind her, looking between Danni's face and my real body. She looked back and forth between us a few times before she looked at my real body.

"Can it-this you talk?" she asked, not sure how to address my other form. I smiled and switched to the other half of my consciousness. She looked at my mist face and I shook my head. She looked back to the other me, a new question blooming.

"Why?" she asked bluntly. I sighed and relaxed against the cushions, closing my eyes. Bella grabbed my arm and leaned her head against my shoulder. I could feel her probing through my body, looking for any injured muscle from the strain my fight caused. She was concentrating on my arms and legs and I sighed as she released a flow of energy from her body into mine. It automatically went to work and I slipped into a healing doze, unable to stay fully awake.

"His spirit form is tangible," Bella explained, "but it isn't a real body. There's nothing to it but form and substance." I felt Danni's gaze move to me, and then away.

"What's wrong now?" she asked, her voice betraying worry. Bella's hand caressed my face as I felt her trying to figure out how to explain without saying too much.

"His attacks," she started slowly, "tend to put a strain on his body. I'm helping him heal." I opened my eyes just enough to see Danni's face and almost started laughing. Her face was completely blank and her one eyebrow was twitching, like she was fighting not to raise it.

"Okay…That brings up more questions than it answers," she said slowly. Bella laughed and ran her hand over my face again.

_I would say buckle up and prepare for landing, but I'd be wasting my time. So, just prepare for landing!_ I heard the pilot announce. He was a surprisingly upbeat guy for a vampire, especially one working for the Volturi. His name was Carl or something simple like that. I couldn't remember at the moment.

Bella slowly cut off the flow of energy between us and I started waking up again. I disassembled my mist form and pulled it back towards my body, Bella leaning away as I did so. I felt the small tingling sensation as it covered my body and slipped out of view, back into my body.

"Go buckle up, Danni," I said. Danni huffed, but she listened, still seeing strain in my face. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes, resting my head against the back of the chair. I could feel my anxiety start building up again as the plane descended, and Bella took my hand in hers to help steady me.

I heard the others walking up to our room on the plane and opened my eyes. Bella was looking back towards the door and I tapped into her sight to see who it was. Alice and Jasper came through and Bella sensed Carlisle and Esme following not far behind them. None of us moved faster than normal so we didn't mess with the plane's flight pattern. I slipped back into my own head just in time to see Alice's pop up over the top of my seat. Jasper sat down behind Bella.

"You okay?" Alice asked me. I looked up at her and gave a tight smile.

"Yeah." She gave me an understanding smile in return before sinking down into the seat behind me.

Esme and Carlisle walked by and sat in front of Danni, their faces letting me know they heard my answer. They didn't ask again, and the state of Rose and Emmett when they sat behind Danni left me believing they didn't even realize my attack. They continued looking at each other, barely registering that we were there, which confirmed my suspicions.

The plane bounced slightly as the landing gear touched tarmac, and I squeezed Bella's hand. She put her other hand over mine and rested her head on my shoulder. Emmett and Rosalie finally broke their stare and Emmett leaned towards us.

"Hey, little brother," he said. "What's got you so tense?" I glared at him, but he didn't seem to realize. I sighed and answered him.

"Oh, just the fact that Danni's life is in more and more danger the closer we get to Volterra, how we don't know exactly what we're heading towards, how all of this could be a trap to get Bella and me…" I let the list fade and looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Need I go on?" He gave me a glazed-over look and I shook my head.

"No…I guess not…" he said slowly, his mind visibly thinking about my reasons. I could see everything finally clicking together as the brain in his head woke up and took control again. Bella squeezed my hand again, bringing my attention back to her.

"Listen to me, Edward." She stared at my face until I nodded. "You have a point with all of that, but you are forgetting a few things." She paused again before continuing.

"Number one, none of us are going to let anything happen to Danni, and with the two of us, he can't touch her unless we allow it. Number two, we knew this was risky, but we're doing it anyway. If we didn't come to them, they would have come after us. And number three, they can't trap what they can't control. With our powers, they are at our mercy, not the other way around," Bella said seriously, staring me right in the eyes.

Bella's pupils changed to blood red again, and black flooded the whites of her eyes. I felt mine change in reaction to her and nodded once. She took her hands and put them on either side of my face, staring intently into my eyes. I stared back and put my hands over hers. Bella's eyes began glowing black and I felt the same power rising up in her flooding my own body. The light started quickly pulsing like a heartbeat. It kept increasing until it looked like a shimmering force field and before slowly fading away. Bella and I closed our eyes at the same moment and bowed our heads until our foreheads were touching. The light was completely gone and all of my tension with it by the time we sat back and opened our eyes.

"That still freaks me out," Emmett commented bluntly, but sounding awed. I looked at Danni, who had moved next to us, to see her smiling down at us. She wrapped her arms around both of us and we hugged her back.

"Don't worry, Eddie," she said, lightening the mood with her childhood nickname for me. "I know all of you will take care of me. And I know you can handle these guys. Let's just get this done and get back home, okay?" She leaned back and looked between the two of us, waiting for a response. Bella smiled and I did the same, even though mine was slightly smaller. I wrapped my arms around Danni and she relaxed against my chest. I picked her small form up and placed her on my lap, pressing my lips to the top of her head.

"Yeah, let's."

We got off the plane and headed into the bustling airport, me taking Danni's hand as tightly as I could without hurting her. She returned the squeeze at first, and didn't complain. Bella's hand was in my other and she was sending me soothing thoughts as we walked.

Carlisle had called ahead for rental cars and two large black SUVs were waiting outside for us. Jasper, Alice, Bella, Danni, and I got into one, and Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and Rose got in the other. Everyone agreed that Jasper should be close to me to help control my emotions. Bella was usually all I needed, but Carlisle wanted to be sure since this would be a "very stressful situation" for me. I didn't argue.

The ride was a blur of scenery that I paid absolutely no attention to, instead focusing on the grips of the hands holding mine. Danni would gasp every now and then, amazed at something we passed and asking me if I saw it. My answer constantly varied from "yeah, it was nice" to "no, I missed it" just to try to convince her I was listening. We finally pulled up to the gates of Volterra and my undead heart decided to hide in my throat. I swallowed a few times, feeling Bella check in on me for a second before leaving, and closed my eyes.

_It's going to be fine, Edward_, Bella thought to me, sending even more reassuring thoughts behind it. I squeezed her hand in response, not trusting my voice to tell her that I knew. I knew it was going to be fine. My irrational fear and protectiveness caused me to be like this. I knew exactly what caused it, and yet I couldn't stop it. It was frustrating, but Bella and Danni helped me deal with it. Danni seemed to feel that something was going on and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Not much longer, Eddie," she said, reassuring me instead of the other way around. "We'll be home before you know it." I gave her a tight smile and nodded once.

The cars pulled in and stopped in front of the main entrance. All of us exited, Bella following Danni and me out the same door when I wouldn't let go of her hand. We stood at the bottom of the steps, rejoicing at the fact that it was a seriously cloudy day in a normally bright, sunny city. The tourists milling around would have been slightly freaked at a bunch of shimmery people stepping out of a couple of cars. Danni raised my hand up towards the sky, looking disappointed when the little, almost indistinguishable sparkles didn't show up.

"Not enough sunlight," Bella explained with a smile on her face. Danni frowned and put my hand back down. She had a fascination with our skin ever since she realized that hers didn't do the same. It was just another thing that led to the "what are you" question that all of us repeatedly avoided as much as possible without lying. And speaking of…

"Are you guys ever going to-" she started, cutting herself off when my grip tightened on her hand. "Edward?" she said warily.

"Soon enough," I said before my voice failed me again.

My visions of everything and anything that could happen to Danni while we were here flashed through my mind again, and Bella released a floodgate of calm into me to calm me down again. My eyes flashed red and black for just a moment as it flowed through my body and I sighed, giving Bella a tight smile. She returned it with an understanding one.

I turned towards the castle's main doors and sighed deeply. I looked back at everyone else to see Esme talking to a vendor close by, passing a few bills to the young woman and receiving a small paper bag in return. I could feel anger beginning to boil inside me, watching my mother act like a tourist with what was about it happen. She returned to the group looking inside the bag and pulling out two strings, small charms hanging from them. My anger quickly turned to confusion when I realized there was not one charm on both strings, but two. She walked over to Bella and me, handing one to each of us.

"Here," she said as she extended her hands towards us. "Carlisle and I had them made as soon as we heard we were making a trip over here."

I heard Bella gasp as she took hers from Esme, but I couldn't make a sound as I saw the charm dangling. It was one charm, but it had two parts. One side was half of the Cullen family crest. It was shaped to fit together perfectly with the other part. It was half a Ying-Yang symbol. The majority of my section was red with a small black dot at one end. It took me a few seconds, but I finally realized the significance of the colors. They were the colors Bella's eyes turned. I looked over at Bella's to see the other half of our crest with the exact opposite of my half of the Ying-Yang, black with a red dot. The colors of _my_ eyes. The crest was on the left side of my charm, and on the right on Bella's. I grabbed one half of my charm, the red with the black dot, and held it out to Bella. She glanced at it and then up at me, before doing the same with her own. The halves matched perfectly and Bella looked like she wanted to cry as she looked up at me again.

"We thought they represented the two of you perfectly," Esme said softly. Neither one of us looked her way, but she understood. We raised the other parts and they fit together, as well. "Both of you are a part of this family, but you're also a part of each other. We're going to get Bella her own full charm of the crest, but this seemed like a good idea until we do."

I felt my eyes tear up and Bella took my necklace from me, giving me hers. I could feel what she wanted, and I raised my hands so that I could slip it over her head. She did the same to me, her smile never leaving her face. The charms fell to our chests, finally resting with a soft thump against our shirts. I slowly raised my hand and held my charm in my palm. The crest felt cold against my skin, the Ying-Yang warm, the exact feel of Bella's hand as she took my free one. She grabbed her own, and I felt mild surprise flit through her mind as she realized what I felt. She smiled at me serenely and turned slowly to Esme.

"Thank you, both of you," she said softly. "You do not know how much this means to me- to us," she corrected, glancing up at me. I smiled down at her and we both reached out to Esme and Carlisle at the same time. The four of us embraced for a few moments before breaking apart.

"You're very welcome, dear," Esme said simply, holding both of us at arm's length. "It's the least we could do after you gave us our son back." Bella smiled and looked like she wanted to blush. Esme dropped her arms from our shoulders and Bella turned into my chest, still smiling. I wrapped my arms around her and smiled, kissing the top of her head. Danni smiled and wrapped her arms around both of us, causing Esme to gasp. We looked at her in confusion and she rummaged around in the duffel at her feet.

"Here it is!" she announced proudly, bringing a small square box out and handing it to Danni.

"What-" she stammered, slowly taking the box.

"Just open it, dear," Esme scolded gently. Bella and I stood on either side of her as she did so, and a small smile broke out on my face when I saw what it was.

Danni held a small silver charm bracelet in her palm, the dim sunlight just barely catching and reflecting off it. I looked at the charms attached and noticed each part of our family crest attached to the chain. There was a slight difference, though. There were two lions, instead of just one, and a lamb, the extra lion and the lamb on the very ends. I looked up at Esme and Carlisle, confusion all over my face. They smiled at me, apparently thinking it was funny.

"It's you and Bella, Edward. Our lamb and her shadow, the lion," Esme explained. I looked at Bella, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind, and she looked up at me. We both shrugged at the same time and said, "Sounds good to us." Everyone laughed at our blatant display of their point. Bella helped Danni put it on, not removing herself from my grasp. Danni flung herself at Esme and Carlisle and hugged them around their waists.

"Thank you," she whispered to them. They smiled down at her just as the front doors opened and two vampires dressed all in black came out to greet us.

"Welcome, Cullen clan, to Volterra," the smaller of the two said. He was not a buff as his counterpart, but I could see the muscles in his arms. He was not someone to overlook.

"My name is Demetri, and this is Felix," he continued, waving a hand at the overly built vampire standing next to him. Demetri tensed for a second before smiling darkly.

"Ah, so the rumor is true. You did bring a young human with you," he said, his eyes tunneling into Danni. Bella and I moved in front of her and she clung to my shirt, her fear rolling off her.

"Edward, what does he mean, a young human?" she asked quietly, knowing all of us could hear her no matter how low she whispered.

"It has to do with what we are, but now is not the time," I answered, not turning away from these two new vampires.

"Do not fret over the girl's safety, Edward Cullen. We have been told of her possible accompaniment and have taken precautions," Felix said, his voice not as gruff as I expected. I made no response. Demetri turned and gestured inside.

"Shall we? Aro would like to greet you himself before allowing you free reign of the castle for the day." Carlisle nodded politely and we followed them inside. I slung Danni on my back and she wrapped her arms and legs around me, holding on and hiding her face behind my shoulder. I could feel her looking around as we walked, and her body was tense with nerves. I was relieved that she knew enough to be scared, but guilty that we brought her along and she had to feel it. She rested her head against mine, helping me keep in control as I felt her body reacting to her emotions.

"I don't like it here, Edward," she whispered in my ear. I smiled sadly and turned my head enough to see at least part of her.

"I know, Danni. I don't either. I promise we won't stay longer than we need to," I whispered back. Bella fell in step next to me, hearing our conversation from my head or just hearing it I wasn't sure, and rubbed Danni's back comfortingly. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to.

We entered the main hall and Danni actually let out a tiny shriek when she saw the members of the Volturi sitting on their thrones. I couldn't blame her. Everyone thought the members of my family were pale, but these vampires had skin that looked almost transparent. Their eyes were crimson red and seemed to burn through each one of us, lingering longer on Bella, Danni, and me. I visibly saw Bella change as soon as we walked in, her head rising and her eyes turning cold and unfeeling. The emotional little vampire outside the castle had been replaced by the Goddess of the Dead, and she was not going to hide who she was in front of vampires she could kill on a whim.

"Ah, Carlisle! My old friend, how have you been these past few years?" Aro said, standing from his throne. He extended his arms, but neither moved to embrace the other. Carlisle inclined his head, and Esme did the same.

"Very well, Aro. And you?" Carlisle asked. I sometimes thought he was too polite for his own good.

"Oh, anticipating the arrival of the two celebrities of our world. And I see they brought the young human child like I requested," he said, looking at Bella and me, and then towards Danni's half-hidden face. Bella moved in front of me, effectively blocking Aro's view of Danni. He raised his eyebrows at her, but she did nothing, not even glare. She stayed perfectly neutral.

"You are right to protect one so fragile, my dear. She could be easily taken from you in a second as she is now." A small smile appeared on his face, and I felt Bella's emotions shift.

"Are you threatening my family, Aro?" she asked quietly. I felt tension trying to take over her, but she was fighting it off with little effort. She had the control I could only dream of, and I loved her for it.

"I mean no harm, my dear," Aro responded, shaking his head and lifting his hands in a defensive manner. "I am just stating fact."

"I thought so, but I wanted to make sure," Bella said slowly taking steps towards Aro, Marcus, and Caius. The guards around the room tensed, but stayed where they were, if barely. "If you had been threatening any of us harm, I would have had to take action against you," she finished, sounding like it would have been a minor inconvenience. In truth, that's all it would have been for her.

"I understand, my dear," Aro said, inclining his head toward Bella, stopping just before the level of mocking her. I glared at him, but I felt the smile break on Bella's face.

"You really should read through what Edward and I have written about our powers, Aro," Bella almost sang. "I think then you would fully understand why you should watch what you say around my family and me."

Aro had the audacity to laugh. He literally threw his head back and laughed, having to wrap his arms around himself as he kept laughing. Anger flooded my body, but Danni's arms tightening around my neck kept me from charging at him. I couldn't put her in any more danger. I lessened my hold on my soul, which was fighting against me to get to Aro, and let the edges billow out from around my body. It was barely visible, but it was there, just enough to relieve some of the pull.

Aro finally stopped laughing and wiped an imaginary tear from his face. He gestured to someone behind us and I sensed Felix and Demetri approaching from behind. Aro pointed from them to me, not saying anything at first. When he did, my control completely slipped.

"Take the girl to the dungeons for now. We will decide what to do with her later."

A growl ripped itself from my chest and I whipped around to face them, falling into a defensive crouch with Bella at my back. I could see the other guards coming towards us, but my newly freed spirit stopped them in their tracks. It growled separately from me has it faded in and out of sight, misting around Bella and me to keep them back. I bared my fangs and snarled, sounding like a demon straight from Hell's fiery depths. Danni's arms tightened around me and she buried her face in my shoulder. All of a sudden, the rest of the family was surrounding us. Bella grabbed my hand, trying to get me to calm down. It was only then that I felt exactly what, or _who_, Danni's fear was towards, and I immediately stopped growling.

It was me.

I froze and grabbed Danni, bringing her around me until I was holding her in my arms. She had tears falling down her face and terror looked at me from her eyes. I stared at her, unable to believe I had let myself get that way in front of her. I hugged her to my chest and she curled up as much as she could, putting her arms between us. I put a hand on the back of her head and just held her, seeing my spirit stop and look back towards me, waiting for a command. I left it there, just in case they decided to pull something, but concentrated on Danni.

"I'm sorry, I sorry, Danni, I'm sorry," I repeated over and over again. She didn't say anything, and I felt her tears continue to fall down her face. I turned towards Aro and glared at him, Bella moving in front of me. Aro was paying no attention to us, though. He was staring at my soul's misty form.

"What…is…this?" he said, slowly moving towards it.

Bella started moving towards him, my gaze following her every move while keeping Danni in the safety of our circle. Esme appeared in front of me, stretching her arms towards Danni, and I hesitated before handing her over. As soon as I knew Esme had her, I ran to Bella's side, just behind her. Her shadow wherever she moved.

"I told you not to threaten my family, Aro," Bella said slowly, sounding more sinister and anger than I have ever heard her. "You should have listened." He smiled.

"What is this going to do?" he asked, gesturing to my spirit. "Choke me? I do not need to breathe. Just admit it, my dear. It does nothing." My spirit misted in the blink of an eye, appearing behind Aro faster than even a vampire could see. I felt my eyes shift and smirked. He hadn't even noticed, but Marcus and Caius did.

"Aro, behind you!" Marcus exclaimed, trying to attack the other me. He slashed at it, but it misted away just before he reached it. He searched around and it was directly behind him, grinning like a demon. Just like I was.

This…other me, this darker me, always came out during times like this. Anytime my emotions run high, or I'm losing control, my ability to care about what is happening seems to disappear. Bella told me it was because I died. I had experienced death, and a small part of it had stayed with me. She said she could see it in me, just a small fringe of black around my core, where my soul was when it was in my body.

And right now, with the looks on Caius, Marcus, and Aro's faces, I was way past caring what was happening.

"Edward is contemplating how long he can play with your lives before I tell him to stop," Bella said calmly. All three of their faces shot to hers in disbelief, outrage, and then half-hidden fear. None spoke.

"How long should I give him?" she asked, looking from them to me and back again.

Their eyes widened and I took a step around her, heading for the raised platform they were standing on. They flinched back, but immediately stepped forward again when they realized the other me was standing behind them. I continued to take steps towards them and their eyes got impossibly wider.

"You messed with the wrong family, Aro. The only question now is, should you pay for it?" Bella whispered, staying as calm as ever. Aro's eyes darted back and forth, his mouth fumbling for words he couldn't find.

"Isabella, this is not necessary. No harm was meant by-" I cut him off, my hand wrapping around his neck and the other plunging through his body, straight to his withered soul. Snarls ripped themselves free of my chest before I even noticed, and I was baring my fangs only inches from his face. My own soul grabbed onto Caius and Marcus', stopping them in their tracks to help Aro. Bella walked slowly up behind me, placing her hand softly on my shoulder. My growls and snarls automatically stopped, but I didn't move. I felt Bella's powers flow as she focused them around the three vampires in front of us.

"What do you see, Aro? What is your worst nightmare?" Bella asked him as she wrapped her powers around his mind, creating hallucinations right before his eyes. "Maybe…the death of your wife? Your _own_ death? It can't be the loss of your reign, because that's already happening as we speak." She paused, watching as his eyes darted back and forth as he watched the scenes playing before his eyes. She let the scenes fade and he gasped, blinking rapidly.

"So, I've decided what I'm going to do, Aro. I think I'm going to have to deprive Edward of the pleasure he would get from killing you and your friends, although I know he won't be happy with me. But you will have your lives. You will leave our family alone. You will do ask we ask, when we ask it. You will not try to keep us here against our will, or sacrifice your own lives in the process. You will not send anyone after us and you will not demand Danni's change. She will only be changed if she wishes it, and we will tell her what we are without fear of any members or _employees_ of the Volturi coming after her." She turned to me, but I kept my glare on Aro's face.

"Have I missed anything, my love?" she asked me. I tilted my head to the side.

"I can think of nothing else, love," I said, smiling gently as I turned to face her. I turned back to Aro and restarted my glare.

"So, these are the terms by which you keep your lives. If anything is done against these terms, Aro, we will be back. You, your two friends here, and your wives will die, and my family will continue living like we have been. Is all of this understood? I would hate for you to misunderstand and die because of it," Bella said, sounding innocent and falsely concerned. The three of them nodded in sync and Bella smiled.

"Good. I think you can let them go now, Edward," she said, lightly squeezing my shoulder. I growled one last time before letting go of Aro's neck. I slowly drew my hand from his chest, smiling to myself every time a flinch flashed across his face. I finally drew my hand from him and he took two steps back, collapsing through my soul and onto his chair. He stared straight ahead as my soul misted back together. I nodded and it ripped its hands out of the other two. They gasped and grabbed at their chests, falling to their knees where they stood.

"Let's go, Edward," Bella said, looping her arm around mine. We turned and walked back towards the others, freezing when Aro laughed.

"A goddess and her shadow. I guess all of those rumors floating around about the two of you were not far off, were they?" he said.

I turned and raised my hand up, smirking as Aro followed it. He floated in the air, thrashing about as he tried to figure out what was going on. I looked to my soul and nodded, sending the impulse of what I wanted it to do. It smiled back and put a hand out in front of itself, palm up. A small flame burst to life and quickly grew, reaching up towards Aro's feet. It was soon licking at the bottoms of his shoes and he thrashed even more.

"Do not doubt me, Aro. We will be back if you do not follow our wishes. We will bring the bodies of anyone you send against us, as well, so that they may join their masters in death. In, Hell, to be more specific. My demons are dying to get their claws into the three of you," Bella said softly. I suppressed a shudder at the mention of the hell beasts. Anyone sent to Hell became a demon under the control of Death, or in this case, Bella. They are the incarnation of every one of the cardinal sins, torture and killing being their favorite. Only twisted versions of who they really were remain by the time they reach the bowels of Hell, and they are not beings anyone would want to meet. Especially if this person is not leaving any time soon.

"Am I understood, Aro?" Bella asked again. He nodded and she smiled grimly. "You can lower him, Edward. I think he gets my point."

I did as she asked, my soul's fire shrinking to stay just below his shoes until it folded in on itself in my soul's palm. It closed its hand into a fist and looked to me for orders. I set Aro into his chair, not being all that careful with him, and looked back at it. I sent an impulse and it walked quickly towards me, enveloping my body in its mist as it rejoined my body. I felt my eyes change as I looked at Aro, his own widening slightly at the sight. I quickly let go of my power and they changed back before we turned and continued out, not another sound out of the three _leaders_ still sitting stunned on their thrones.

I looked at Danni, but she had her face buried in Esme's shirt. She was shaking slightly, like she was trying to hold everything in. I felt a rush of anger and sadness flood through me, anger at myself for letting my control down and sadness that I had scared her so badly. She was never going to forgive me for that. I looked away and we continued out of the castle and into the still cloudy courtyard. Carlisle and Jasper went to find a hotel for us to stay at until we could catch our flight the next day.

Bella and I went to an almost deserted café. I could tell she wanted to talk, but I wasn't sure if I was ready yet. I was still in shock over my lack of control. We sat down, but no waiters came out to us. I could see them talking to each other in the back room, but it didn't seem like they knew we were even there.

"That's because they _don't_ know," Bella said quietly, taking my hand from across the table. She squeezed it gently and I squeezed back, not knowing what to say, or whether to say anything at all. We sat in silence for a few minutes before Bella broke it.

"She'll forgive you, you know." I looked at her, confused, but didn't say anything.

"Danni. She knew something was different about us. Now she knows just how different, and that we can tell her what she's always wanted to know. Just give her some time to go through what happened. She may be young, but her mind is not, Edward. You know that just as much as I do." I nodded once and closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose with my free hand and sighing.

"I feel like she's completely lost her childhood because of us, because of _me_," I said, not opening my eyes. "It's like I flip a switch and I'm a completely different person than who she knows and I _scare_ her, Bella. I scare her so bad, she wouldn't even look at me." Bella moved her chair closer to mine and wrapped her free arm around my waist. She rested her chin on my shoulder and moved her thumb over the back of my hand.

"She's happy with us and she loves you. She just needs time to get over what happened. And she's where she wants to be, with the people she wants to be with, and gets anything she wants because we spoil her rotten. What else could she ask for?" Bella said, shrugging against me.

"I want to know what you are," a small voice asked from behind us. We turned to see Danni standing behind us by herself, her small arms hugging her small frame as she stared. "Please." I smiled gently to her and beckoned her closer. She took only a few steps, staying just out of arm's reach. I felt a pang of guilt and sadness go through me, but kept the small smile on my face. I looked at Bella and she looked at me. We both turned back to her at the same time and answered at the same time.

"We are vampires."

She stared at us for the longest time, the only movement she made was quick shallow breaths. I tapped into her soul just a little so she wouldn't be able to notice and felt her shrinking fear and confusion, and growing understanding and acceptance. Her eyes softened as she continued to gaze at us, blinking for the first time in a few minutes as she took a step closer.

"You're…vampires?" she asked hesitantly. Both of us nodded at the same time and she took another step forward. Neither of us reached for her, wanting her to come to us.

"What…what kind of…what can you do?" she asked quickly, her eyes filling with curiosity. I gave her a small smile, elated that she wanted to know more.

"We are a little different from other vampires, but every one of us is very fast and very strong. Bella and I are a different kind of vampire. We can control souls, like how I can separate mine from my body." Danni's mouth formed a small "o" and her eyes widened as I told her. She was right in front of me now, and put her hands on my knees.

"What about the fire? And the floating thingy? Did you do that?" she asked excitedly. I nodded.

"Yup. We can control fire, water, air, the ground, and plants. Bella and I…we control death. Do you remember the day in front of the house when that guy showed up and hurt us?" I asked, really not wanting to bring up that day, but needing to make sure she understood. She nodded her eyes tearing up.

"That was the day you…died," she whispered. I nodded once, sadly.

"That guy was like Bella and me. He changed Bella into what she is now, and Bella changed me. We are what are called Reapers."

I told her the whole story that Renee told me when my soul separated from my body and she climbed up into my lap a few moments after I started. She sat there and looked up at me the whole time, listening to every word I said. When I got to the part about how Bella was the Grim Reaper, or as we had been calling her, the Goddess of Death, she gasped and looked at Bella, disbelief and awe flooding her face. I finished faster than I thought I would and she just sat there staring at me. I raised an eyebrow at her and she blinked a few times.

"So…you said…_I_ could…be like you? If I wanted?" she asked, unsure of herself. I gave her a small smile and nodded.

"Only if you want to. The choice is up to you, but we won't change you until you're older and finish school." She turned her head to the side, her brows furrowing.

"Why?" I smiled and gave a half laugh.

"You don't want to be stuck as a ten year old for the rest of eternity, do you?" Her eyes widened and she shook her head wildly, causing Bella and I to laugh. "I didn't think so." I sighed.

"You know, Danni, I'm really surprised you're not more scared after what just happened. I know I scared you pretty badly," I admitted, turning my face slightly away from her in shame. She reached up and took my face in her warm hands, turning me back to her. She was smiling at me which confused me more.

"You did what you did to protect me, Eddie. How could I be scared of you for that?" she said, shaking her head at me. I smiled at the used of the nickname, but said nothing as she continued.

"You're my best friend, Edward. You and Bella have been parents to me and I couldn't ask for anything else. Plus, I always knew there was something weird about you," she said slyly, squinting at me. I laughed and hugged her to my chest, sighing as her arms wrapped around my neck.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Danni. I love you, baby girl," I whispered into her hair. She smiled and nodded against me.

"It's okay. And I love you, too, Eddie."

Bella joined our embrace, kissing the side of both of our heads. I smiled to myself, knowing I had everything I could ever want for the rest of eternity…

**A/N: Well, it only took….3 or 4 months…but I finally finished the epilogue! I hope this clears everything up and leaves you guys satisfied, but if not, feel free to leave a review or PM with any questions or confusion.**

**So…I have nothing to say, but the fact that college is going to make writing and updating my stories on FanFic **_**much**_** more difficult. But it is not going to stop me from writing! I know I was much more consistent with updating before, but I'm giving you fare warning for any and all future stories.**

**Also, check out my new poll! It has to do with what story I write next, so go vote for the one you're most interested in! The story summaries are in my profile. I'll try to get the first chapter of whichever wins as a little Christmas present to you guys (sorry if you don't celebrate it, but take it as whatever gift-giving holiday you celebrate!). I'm going to close the poll on December 16, which happens to be the last day of te semester, so I won't have any work to keep me away. :)**

**Please review for this last time, and thanks to all of you for your support for this…rather **_**different**_** story!**

**~*~Angels of Twilight~*~**


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